The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Slovakia of AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and related equipment and services, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on 31 July 2024.
The proposed sale, which is worth an estimated USD 600 million (EUR 550 million), has been passed to the US Congress for final approval.
Slovakia has requested to buy 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters; 26 T-700 GE 401C engines (24 installed with two spares); 1,680 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rounds; and 14 Honeywell embedded global positioning system/inertial navigation systems (12 installed with two spares).
Also included in the sales are various avionics systems, including Helmet Mounted Display System/Optimized TopOwl target sight systems, ANVIS-9 night vision cueing displays, AN/AAR-47 missile warning systems and AN/APR-39C radar warning receiver and conversion kits; M299, LAU-61C/A and LAU-68F/A munitions launchers; M197 20 mm armament pod gun assemblies with 20 mm high-explosive and practice rounds; various countermeasure systems with chaff and flare cartridges; spare and repair parts; and various aspects of logistics, training, technical, documental and programme support.
“The proposed sale will improve Slovakia’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing the Slovak Air Force with aircraft to meet its national defense needs,” the DSCA stated.
Slovakia is the fourth foreign customer for the AH-1Z Viper; the others are Bahrain, the Czech Republic and Nigeria, with the Philippines being an approved future user. The sale of a dozen AH-1Zs to Pakistan, meanwhile, is currently suspended.
The US government initially offered to sell 12 AH-1Zs to Slovakia at a discount in March 2023 after Bratislava sent its retired MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine.
The principal contractors for the Slovakian AH-1Z sale will be Bell Textron, located in Fort Worth, Texas; and the General Electric Company, located in Lynn, Massachusetts.
