Boeing has been awarded a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to provide AH-6 helicopters to the Royal Thai Army. The $103,774,884 deal, awarded by US Army Contracting Command on February 18, is a modification to an earlier contract. Estimated contract completion date was given as May 30, 2025.
The deal had been expected for some time, having been financed by fiscal year 2010 FMS funds. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) had announced on September 24, 2019, that US State Department approval had been granted for Thailand to purchase eight AH-6i light attack and reconnaissance helicopters and related equipment at an estimated cost of $400 million. US Congress was notified of the possible sale on the same day.
The DSCA said at the time that weapons included in the proposed deal would be 50 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles; 500 Hydra 70 Rockets; 200 Advance Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets; ten M134 Mini Guns; four GAU-19/B .50 Cal Machine Guns; ten M260 rocket launchers and ten M299 Longbow Hellfire launchers.
Other equipment comprised ten AN/APN-209 Radar Altimeter; eight AN/APR-39(V)(4) digital radar warning receivers: 20 AN/AVS-6 Night Vision Goggles; eight WESCAM MX-10Di cameras; ten AN/APX-123 IFF; ten AN/ARC 201E-VHF-FM radios; ten AN/ARC-231 radios with MX-4027; ten LN-251 Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System (EGI); Aircrew Trainer (ACT); Pilot Desktop Trainer (PDT); Virtual Maintenance Trainer (VMT; contractor provided pilot and maintainer training peculiar ground support equipment; spares; publications; integrated product support; technical assistance; quality assurance team; transportation; and other related elements of logistics and programme support.
The AH-6i will replace the Royal Thai Army’s fleet of seven Bell AH-1F Cobras. As part of a broader military modernization effort, these AH-6i helicopters will provide light attack reconnaissance for close air support to special operations forces, Stryker infantry soldiers and border guard units. Thailand becomes the second customer for the AH-6i, 24 of which were also delivered to the Saudi Arabian National Guard under the AH-6S designation.
