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The State Department has approved a potential foreign military sale of 12 of the twin-engine attack helicopters.
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The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has announced the approval of a US$997 million ($1.3 billion) request for 12 Bell-built AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters from the government of Nigeria.
The deal also includes the provision of:
- Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) guidance sections;
- night vision cueing display (NVCD);
- M197 20mm machine gun; and
- training and support services.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the DSCA noted in a statement.
“The proposed sale will better equip Nigeria to contribute to shared security objectives, promote regional stability and build interoperability with the US and other Western partners.
“This sale will be a major contribution to US and Nigerian security goals.”
This latest deal comes just over a week after the US approved a US$95 million ($126.5 million) proposal from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office for contractor technical assistance relating to the training, planning, fielding, deployment, operation, maintenance and sustainment of the Patriot Air Defense System.
The deal also includes the provision of associated equipment and logistics support as well as Patriot ground support equipment, spare parts and consumables.
This followed Taiwan’s request for equipment and services to support participation in the Patriot International Engineering Services Program (IESP) and Field Surveillance Program (FSP) over the next five years.
The deal, worth an estimated US$100 million ($139 million), includes engineering services to support, maintain and enhance the Patriot Air Defense System, and missile field surveillance support for legacy Guidance Enhanced Missile (GEM) and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles.
Taiwan’s Patriot missile stock is expected to serve as a deterrent to regional threats amid a ramp-up in aggression from China.
[Related: Pentagon approves Taiwan request for Patriot missile training]
