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/The Government of Bahrain has requested to buy equipment and services to refurbish
twenty-four (24) Excess Defense Article (EDA) AH-1W multi-role helicopters.
Included are services to refurbish a full-motion Aircraft Procedures Trainer (APT),
M272A1 missile launchers and
spare T-700-GE-401 aircraft engines,
spare parts, support, training, publications, and other related elements of logistics and program support.
The estimated total cost is $350 million.
https://defbrief.com/2023/03/31/bahrain ... percobras/
https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/ba ... 86.articleBahrain emerges as potential first customer for surplus US AH-1W SuperCobras
March 31, 2023
The US State Department has approved a potential sale of surplus AH-1W SuperCobra
helicopters to Bahrain as part of its excess defense article (EDA) program.
Bahrain has requested equipment and services to refurbish 24 of the AH-1W helicopters,
along with a full-motion aircraft procedures trainer,
missile launchers, spare aircraft engines, support, and training.
The estimated cost is $350 million.
It is worth noting that Bahrain is already buying the newer AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter, which is replacing the AH-1W in US Marine Corps service.
The USMC ended operations with the AH-1W in October 2020,
having fielded a replacement fleet of AH-1Zs.
Fleets data records 81 of the W-model aircraft as being in storage, with an average age of almost 33 years.
Bahrain – which the DSCA describes as “an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East” –
already operates a fleet of 22 legacy Cobras in the E- and F-model standards,
plus eight AH-1P trainers.
The Royal Bahraini Air Force has recently upgraded its legacy Cobra attack helicopter fleet
The Gulf Co-operation Council member nation already has funded a major upgrade activity to its in-service fleet,
including the integration of new sensors and air-launched weapons by Turkish industry.
Bell earlier this year also completed deliveries of 12 new AH-1Zs for use by the Royal Bahraini Air Force,
with the last of these to be shipped to the Middle East later this year.
