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YRH-70 w. Hydras
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In July 2008, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced Iraq’s formal request to buy 24 helicopters. Based on the request, Iraq seems to be interested in Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters that act as scouts, perform light close air support, and escort other helicopters on dangerous missions.

The IqAF currently relies on a small force of Russia’s popular Mi-8/17 and refurbished Bell “Huey II” helicopters. While the Russian helicopters can be armed, their status as Iraq’s only medium utility helicopters makes them a poor fit for an ARH role. Instead, Iraq chose between 2 competitors: Bell’s 407, whose derivative ARH-70A won the competition in America but ran into trouble; and Boeing’s AH-6 “Little Bird” light attack helicopters used by US Special Forces. AH-6s are very effective in urban settings, and provided critical fire support during the 1991 “Blackhawk Down” incident.

The DSCA documents also included requests for airborne weapons – something the nascent post-Saddam IqAf has not really had to this point. Now, it appears that Iraq has picked its ARH winner – and issued production contracts. Even so, much still remains to be decided…

Contracts and Key Events

Bell 407 at work
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Sept 23/09: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. in Hurst, TX received a $6.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for 3 Bell 407 commercial helicopters. These helicopters will be used as the training platform for the Iraqi Armed 407 program, as described in pseudo Foreign Military Sale E4-B-UBY.

Work is to be performed in Fort Worth, TX (55%) and Mirabel, Quebec, Canada (45%) with an estimated completion date of Dec 31/10. One bid was solicited with 1 bid received, since the Iraqis had already picked their helicopter. The U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, CCAM-AR-B at Redstone Arsenal, AL manages this contract (W58RGZ-09-C-0249).

April 29/09: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. in Hurst, TX received a $60.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for 24 Bell 407 helicopters for the country of Iraq, with an option to buy up to 26 additional helicopters. This contract will be fulfilled over the next 27 months, with an additional 13 month period of performance if the option is exercised. Work is to be performed in Alliance, TX (55%) and Mirabel, Canada (45%) with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/12. The U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL will manage the contract (W58RGZ-09-C-0160).

According to Bell Helicopter officials, this contract is for plain commercial Bell 407 airframes. The US Army is in charge of the militarization process to meet the mission requirements of the Iraqi Air Force. Bell Helicopter is prepared to assist with that process if contracted to do so. Adding options that found their way into the US Army’s ARH-70 test aircraft, such as the larger engine, different engine cowling, airframe modifications for weapons carriage and use, and array of new electronics, will be handled by the US Army as a go-between for the helicopters’ foreign customer.

Note that before the ARH-70 program was canceled, the additional equipment and integration had lifted their unit cost to about $12-14 million each.

March 25/09: France and Iraq sign a EUR 360 million ($488 million equivalent) order for 24 EC635 helicopters. Read “Iraq Orders Eurocopter’s EC635s” for more.

The EC635 can be seen as the modern successor to the SA 341/342 Gazelle, which Saddam Hussein’s forces used in an armed scout and light attack role. Like its predecessor, it can be used in any of the light utility, search-and-rescue, or armed scout roles.

March 16/09: At a DoD roundtable [PDF], Col. Lawrence Avery Jr., the US force deputy director of MNSTC-I’s security assistance office, establishes the Dec 10/08 request as an additional, follow-on request:

”...they are in the process of purchasing Bell—in—Bell 407 armed scout, which’ll be a lightly armed—lightly armed helicopter. The first deliveries will be in a couple of years from now. And they purchased 24 of those, and they have a request in, as they evaluate their budget, for potentially buying 26 more, for a total of 50. So that’s what they’re—that’s what they’re in the process of buying.

They have Mi-17s that they already own. They have Mi-17s—the 22 that were talked about earlier that are (in bounds/inbound ?) that—they’re looking at options for maybe arming some of those. So as far as, you know, what all their desirements are, I can’t really speak to that. I do know they are – the armed capabilities, I know their purchasing for helicopters is through Bell 407 armed scout program.”

ARH-70A, testing
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Dec 10/08: The US DSCA announces [PDF] an official request from Iraq, which appears to have selected a winner in its own Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter competition. Bells 407 ARH appears to have beaten Boeing’s AH-6 ARH, as Iraq asks for another squadrons’ worth (24 + 2 training/ spares):

26 Bell Armed 407 Helicopters
26 Rolls Royce 250-C-30 Engines
26 “M280” 2.75-inch/ 70mm rocket Launchers (see below, may be a typo)
26 XM296 .50 Cal. Machine Guns with 500 Round Ammunition Box
26 M299 Hellfire Guided Missile Launchers

The estimated cost is $366 million, to be finalized in forthcoming contract negotiations. Bell recently had this model canceled as the winner of the USA’s ARH-70 Arapaho competition, after continuing development with private funds for over a year. This order would throw their helicopter a critical lifeline at a critical time, and may even suffice to give it the market foothold Bell needs. The Long War Journal has reported [PDF] that Iraq’s initial ARH buy is just the first of several, and that the IqAF intends to field up to 5 squadrons by 2015.

The request also includes test, measurement and diagnostics equipment, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical data, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor
engineering and logistics personnel services, and other forms of support, which will involve contractors and military representatives in country but have not been defined yet.

Nov 2/08: A briefing [PDF transcript] from Iraqi General Nasier Abadi, Vice Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces, includes this item:

“Expansion of reconnaissance and air surveillance and with King Air aircraft. and there have been a contract with helicopter to support the aerial support. There are 24 aircraft from Bell 407, 24 aircraft from Eurocopter 635, and 24 support aircraft AT-6B and 36 jet fighters of 516.”

The EC635 is a successor to the French Gazelle helicopters used in Iraq by Saddam’s forces, and by opposing British forces as well. They can be armed, and neighboring Jordan has ordered a handful. See the linked article below that covers Iraq’s EC635 purchase.

SOAR’s AH-6J
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Oct 7/08: Boeing appears to be using Iraq’s request as a more general template, as it announces the AH-6 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter’s addition to its product line. The AH-6 features an advanced communications package, a surveillance and targeting turret, as well as a weapon set that includes Hellfire missiles, the M260 7-rocket pod, a machine gun, and a mini-gun integrated with a sensor system.

Boeing will produce the AH-6 ARH at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Mesa, AZ. Dave Palm, director of Boeing Rotorcraft Business Development, said that:

“Boeing has been approached by several potential customers seeking light attack and reconnaissance capabilities in a flexible rotorcraft platform…. We believe this system is a perfect fit for those customers seeking long endurance, proven performance and 2,000-pound payload within an affordable helicopter.”

A number of countries use the related MD500 family in this role, arming them with TOW anti-armor missiles, rocket pods, and/or miniguns. The AH-6 ARH updates that niche, and could gain traction. If so, however, it will be at the expense of MD Helicopters, which is trying to revive its fortunes. MD Helicopters lost its opportunity to return to the military market when America’s ARH contract went to Bell’s 407, and the LUH contract went to Eurocopter’s EC145. Attempting to compete in the ARH segment against Boeing would be extremely difficult and costly. MD Helicopters would face long odds, despite a fair claim of better but less battle-proven helicopter technology. Boeing release.

July 30/08: Iraq issues its initial request, which includes both alternatives for its ARH platform, and a wide array of weapons and supplementary equipment, to match the 26 Mi-17 medium helicopters in 15th Special Ops squadron:

• 24 Bell Armed 407 Helicopters, similar to the American ARH-70 program; or Boeing AH-6 “Little Bird” Helicopters. The AH-6 is the specialized attack version of the MH-6, designed to mount missiles, guns, and/or 7-tube rocket launchers.

• 24 Rolls Royce 250-C-30 Engines. Actually made by its subsidiary Allison. The Allison 250 powers both the MH-6 and the commercial Bell 407, but not the ARH-70 which used Honeywell’s HTS900-2 turbine.

• 24 of Lockheed Martin’s M299 Guided Missile Launchers. Can launch Hellfire missiles, or DAGR laser-guided 2.75” rockets
• 200 of Lockheed Martin’s AGM-114M Hellfire II missiles. Laser-guided, which means the helicopters will either need a sensor/targeting turret, or be forced to rely on ground troops “painting” the target with systems of their own. Standard blast/fragmentation warhead.
• 16 M36 Hellfire Training Missiles

• 24 “M280 2.75-inch Launchers.” This may be a typo The usual launchers are the 7-rocket M260 or the 19-round M261. Helicopters in this class are more likely to use the M260.
• 15,000 2.75-inch/70mm Rockets. Standard unguided rockets.

• 24 XM296 .50 Cal. Machine Guns with 500 Round Ammunition Box
• 24 M134 7.62mm Mini-Guns

Land Systems

• 565 M120 120mm Mortars. General Dynamics makes most of these for the US armed forces.
• Unspecified 120mm ammunition
• 665 M252 81mm Mortars
• Unspecified 81mm ammunition

Plus test measurement and diagnostics equipment, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical data, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics personnel services, and other related elements of logistics support.

The principal contractors listed in the July 30/08 DSCA request were Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. in Hurst, TX or Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in Seattle, WA. Iraq appears to have picked Bell’s 407, which removes Boeing from that list.

U.S. Government and Contractor technical assistance will be required, but had not been fully defined when the DSCA requests were made.

The Shape of Things to Come

Jordanian EC635
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The DSCA adds that:

“The proposed sale of these helicopters, missiles, and mortar systems will be used to develop new Iraqi Air Force (IAF) squadrons and/or wings, and to enhance the ability of the IAF to sustain itself in its efforts to bring stability to Iraq.”

DID reader DJ Elliott, who is the prime author of the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle at the respected Long War Journal, believes that these helicopters are destined for Iraqi Special Operations support alongside the 26 Mi-17v5s of 15th Special Operations Squadron.

He also points to July 2008 rumors of interest in up to 50 used SA 341/342 Gazelle helicopters from France or Britain, however, which could change the wider implications of this purchase from “likely special forces support” to “the beginning of a wider push to deploy close support aviation.” An agreement for EC635 helicopters was signed in March 2009, but their planned role remains unclear.

Meanwhile, progress continues on the fixed wing front. The “jet fighters of 516” mentioned by Iraqi General Nasier Abadi in the Nov 2/08 briefing is likely a transcript error, which meant to say F-16. Iraq has submitted an official DSCA request to buy AT-6B trainer and light attack aircraft. A similar DSCA request is also reportedly in the works for F-16s, but has not been issued as of March 2009. Official government requests indicate that the slot between the prop-driven AT-6B and the F-16 looks set to be filled by Korea’s supersonic T/A-50 Golden Eagle, which can be given decent air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities.

Additional Readings

• DID (March 30/09) – 22 More Mi-17s for Iraq. These medium helicopters can be armed – and have been.

• DID (March 26/09) – Iraq Orders Eurocopter’s EC635s. These are likely to work in a light utility and SAR (Search And Rescue) role.

• Boeing (Oct 7/08) – Boeing Announces New Rotorcraft Program: AH-6

• The Long War Journal (Aug 4/08) – Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle: August 2008 Update. Overall analysis of Iraq’s recent purchases, and their likely destinations.