USA Donates Combat Helicopters to Czech Republic • Pilot & Aircraft
PRAGUE – The US government is donating two UH-1Y Venoms and six AH-1Z Vipers to the Czech Republic. The helicopters come from a US warehouse and are delivered free of charge. The Czech Republic only pays for transportation costs and upgrading the helicopters. The helicopters are freely available because the Czech Republic has now delivered two Mi-24s to Ukraine and intends to deliver the remaining Mi-24/35 to the country in combat.
In mid-December 2019, the Czech Ministry of Defense signed a contract for twelve helicopters to replace the Russian Mi-24, Mi-35 and Mi-171, which are due to expire in 2023. The order included a contract to supply eight UH-1Y Venoms and four AH-1Z Vipers. The contract included training of pilots and technicians. Should the simulator also have been delivered that year?
Bell has now started building the first helicopters for the Czech Armed Forces. To that end, Florida’s Crestview Aerospace delivered the first UH-1Y cabin to the Bel Amarillo Assembly Center in late July 2021.
Bell Czech began developing the AH-1Z simulator for the armed forces. A Czech company called VR Group is also involved in its construction.
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