Ukraine has been seeking to update its fleet of aging Soviet-era attack helicopters for a long time. The need has become more pressing since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, both because of the fleet’s inferior performance and the increasing difficulty sourcing parts to repair and maintain them, many of which are of Russian origin.
After a projected $600 million sale of 12 Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters to Pakistan through its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program in 2017 fell through, Washingtonoffered the aircraft to Slovakia, along with AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles at a discounted price of around $340 million in March 2023.
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The Slovakian deal also includes the purchase of 26 T-700 GE 401C engines, 1,680 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) unguided air-to-ground missiles, 20 mm ammunition, helmets, electronics and other equipment, as well as training for crews and ground staff and infrastructure creation.
The discount offered to Slovakia was partly to compensate for its donation of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets and Kub air defense systems to Ukraine, the legality of which the new Slovakian government is now questioning.
However, in October 2023, when the new government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico was elected, Bratislava began to backtrack on the US deal, saying its priority was for other weapons systems such as F-16 fighter aircraft and air-defense systems. They suggested that the offered discount be applied to these alternative purchases.
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In response, the US State Department, disappointed by Slovakia’s attitude, indicated they were withdrawing the discounted offer.
Meanwhile, Vadym Ivchenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence said that Kyiv had been lobbying to receive the Vipers since 2022 when the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) applied for the aircraft.
In December 2023, Ukraine apparently unsuccessfully requested AH-64E Apache helicopters from the US, with the AH-1Z Vipers being another potential candidate.
“We need these helicopters for our soldiers who are fighting on the front line in the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and other regions, but also leading an operation in the Kursk region,” Ivchenko told Defense News.
Ivchenko said he had also written to US President Joe Biden asking the administration to reroute the Vipers to Kyiv if Slovakia finally turned them down.
“Slovakia should decide what kind of weapons and equipment they require for their military, and if they don’t need these helicopters, then their delivery to Ukraine should take place as soon as possible,” he said.
Ivchenko said that Kyiv was also in discussion with Bell helicopters, trying to persuade them to enter into a production partnership at a Ukrainian facility.
“We wish to deepen our industrial cooperation with the United States to produce such helicopters in Ukraine,” Ivchenko said. “This foreign investment would be guaranteed by the Ukrainian government.”
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