Rotorcraft
U.S. Approves $800M Bell 407/412 Sale to Iraq Military
Pentagon permission facilitates sale of Bell 412EXP and 407M
Bell 407M helicopter
Bell's 407M helicopter is part of a new U.S.-government backed sale to the Iraqi military.

The Pentagon has greenlit a foreign military sale to the government of Iraq, paving the way for the potential acquisition of the twin-engine Bell 412EPX and single-engine Bell 407M. Authorization for the package, worth an estimated $800 million including armament and associated equipment, comes as U.S.-led coalition forces are preparing to withdraw from the country by the end of September.

On August 31, the U.S. Department of State announced that the proposed sale “will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner.” Fort Worth, Texas-based Bell Textron will be the principal contractor. Although no specific numbers have been announced, the package will include “U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support service.”

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