Boeing AH-6i - Aviation Photo Digest
Gareth Jennings -
Jane's Defence Weekly
10 January 2018
The US Army has issued a request for information (RFI)
for up to 120 Boeing AH-6 light attack and reconnaissance rotorcraft for Saudi
Arabia and other undisclosed allied operators.
The sources-sought notification, which was posted on the
Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website on 9 January, covers the
manufacture and delivery of the ‘Little Bird’ helicopters in the AH-6SA (Saudi
Arabia) and AH-6i (International) configurations.
Numbers were not disclosed for each variant, though an
RFI released by the US Army in early 2016 for 72 AH-6i variant helicopters only
suggests that the additional 48 platforms included in this latest solicitation
might be AH-6SAs for Saudi Arabia.
As well as the supply of the helicopters, spares, ground
support equipment, training of initial key personnel, and transportation, the
indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract would also include
weapons, countermeasures, and other ancillary equipment.
Specific weapons named in the statement of work (SOW)
comprise M260 Hydra 70 mm unguided rockets; BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill
Weapon System (APKWS) II guided rockets; Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire
air-to-surface missiles; General Dynamics GAU-19B 12.7 mm Gatling guns; and
Dillon Aero M134D 7.62 mm Mini Guns.
Countermeasures comprise the Northrop Grumman AN/APR-39
radar warning receiver (RWR), while ancillary equipment noted include Harris
AN/AVS-6 night-vision goggles; the 62 US Gallon Goliath internal auxiliary fuel
tank; external plank seating; as well as an alternate electro-optic/infrared
(EO/IR) sensor system to the baseline L3 Wescam MX-10/15Di.
The US Army stated that the AH-6SA/AH-6i helicopters will
be delivered in the Performance Enhancement Production Upgrade Configuration.
This comprises composite main rotor blades; upgraded mast /mast base HI-LOK
fasteners; reverse direction tail rotor system (including directional flight
controls and tail rotor drive shaft); as well as an extended tail boom.
Original post: janes.com
AH-6i: Details
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