The Pentagon has decided to transfer six used AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and two used UH-1Y Venom multipurpose helicopters to the Czech Armed Forces free of charge.
The transfer of the vehicles will take place as part of the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program - the Czechs will only need to pay for the costs of upgrading and delivering the helicopters, writes the Polish portal Defence24.
Read more: Czechia Sends Ukraine Mi-24 Attack Helicopters
In parallel with the transfer of used helicopters to the Czech Republic, the US will also fulfill a contract for the production of eight UH-1Y Venom multi-role helicopters and four AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters worth $646 million, which are to be delivered in 2024-2024.
Thus, the Czech Republic will have at its disposal a fleet of 10 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and 10 multipurpose UH-1Y Venom.
The US Embassy in the Czech Republic emphasized that the Americans decided to transfer 8 used helicopters to the Czechs as a "bonus" for the fact that Prague had already transferred two Mi-24V attack helicopters to Ukraine. But here it is worth mentioning a publication from The Wall Street Journal dated May 2022 that the Czech Republic had as many as 7 Mi-24 attack helicopters and 10 Mi-35 helicopters at the time of the transfer of those helicopters. The article also stated that the Czechs were ready to transfer almost all of these vehicles to Ukraine, but under one important condition – if the USA accelerates the delivery of UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters to the Czech Republic.
It seems that the USA decided to transfer eight used helicopters to the Czech Republic "out of turn" precisely in order to speed up the delivery of additional Mi-24 or Mi-35 helicopters for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Read more: Best Western Helicopters to Be a Good Replacement For the Soviet Mi-8 And Mi-24 In Ukraine (Analysis)
