US to deliver first AH-6i helos to Saudi Arabia 'as soon as possible'

[Zarvan]

Boeing's AH-6i Little Bird and AH-64E Apache Guardian assembly lines in Mesa, Arizona. The US government is looking to transport the first 12 AH-6i helicopters to Saudi Arabia by air, to get them there as soon as possible, with the others to follow later by sea. Source: Boeing
The US government is making the final preparations for the shipment of 24 Boeing AH-6i Little Bird light attack and reconnaissance helicopters to Saudi Arabia, with a solicitation for their transportation being posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website on 24 August.

According to the notification, the first 12 helicopters will be transported to the kingdom by air to get them to the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) "as soon as possible", with the remaining 12 to follow by ship.

With production now fully underway at Boeing's Mesa facility in Arizona, deliveries were supposed to have commenced at the end of July but had been delayed for unspecified reasons. Reporters were shown the first batch of six helicopters on the line in June (though Boeing declined to name the customer) and, with production scheduled to run at two airframes per month, the last of SANG's helicopters are scheduled to arrive on the line in February 2017.

The AH-6i features an enhanced powerplant, payload, and avionics package, giving it enhanced 'hot and high' capabilities; a large and varied arsenal that includes 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns and AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles; and interoperability with the latest-variant AH-64E Apache Guardian.

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