Pakistan to get nine US Viper copters

In a move likely to rile India, the US will sell nine AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters worth $ 170 million to Pakistan. A few weeks ago, the Obama administration decided to provide eight F-16 fighter jets to the country, despite strong opposition from some Congressmen and India. 

The Pentagon has awarded Bell Helicopter a contract to manufacture and deliver the choppers to Pakistan under its foreign military sales funds. In a statement, the Defence Department  said the work is expected to be completed in September 2018. “Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $ 170,173,188 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year,” the statement said. 

The contract, which also includes nine auxiliary fuel kits for Pakistan, is part of the $ 952 million military hardware sale by US which was notified to the Congress last April. On April 6 last year the State Department had notified its decision to sell military hardware worth of $ 950 million to Pakistan. 

As per the State Department notification to the Congress, Pakistan has requested a possible sale of 15 AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopters, 32 T-700 GE 401C Engines (30 installed and 2 spares), and 1000 AGM-114 R Hellfire II Missiles in containers, as well as other hardware.

The total estimated cost is USD 952 million. “This proposed sale of helicopters and weapon systems will provide Pakistan with military capabilities in support of its counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in South Asia,” the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said last year. 

Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, that was developed for the US Marine Corps. The Obama administration earlier this year approved a $ 700 million sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, despite opposition from India.