MELBOURNE, Australia — Boeing has been awarded a contract for AH-6 light-attack helicopters to Thailand, the U.S. Defense Department announced Feb. 18.

The department said Boeing’s Mesa, Arizona, location was issued a $103.8 million modification to a contract for AH-6 aircraft with an estimated completion date of May 30, 2025.

The announcement added that the contract modification was for a Foreign Military Sales program for Thailand. The U.S. State Department previously approved the potential sale of eight AH-6i Little Bird helicopters in September 2019, estimated to be worth no more than $400 million. The Thai government later clarified it had approved 4.2 billion baht (U.S. $130.3 million) for the acquisition.

The State Department approval for the AH-6i stated that the helicopters were earmarked to replace the Royal Thai Army’s fleet of seven Bell AH-1F HueyCobra helicopter gunships, with Wescam MX-10 multispectral electro-optical sensors and night vision goggles included in the proposed package.

The package also included 50 Lockheed Martin-made AGM-114R Hellfire guided missiles, 200 BAE Systems-made Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System laser-guided 2.75-inch rockets, Hydra unguided rockets, miniguns and machine guns.

It further added that the helicopters would be used to “provide light attack reconnaissance for close air support to special operations forces, Stryker infantry soldiers and border guard units.”

About

Mike Yeo is the Asia correspondent for Defense News.

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