The United States announced on Friday, August 19 that it would donate eight combat and multirole helicopters to the Czech Republic, a member of NATO. The Czech Republic has been a major supplier of military equipment to Ukraine since the February 24 Russian invasion.
The six AH-1Z combat helicopters and two UH-1Y multirole helicopters will be offered under the Excess Defense Articles program, the US Embassy in Prague said: “The Czech Republic will only pay for the upgrade and transport of the equipment,” the US Embassy said on Twitter.
In 2019, Prague announced the purchase of eight UH-1Y and four AH-1Z helicopters made by Texas-based Bell Corporation to replace obsolete Russian-made Mi-35/24s. The 20 helicopters are expected to be delivered in 2023.