The United States has approved a potential $800 million Foreign Military Sale to Iraq including Bell helicopters, machine gun launchers, rocket systems and related equipment, the State Department said. The package includes GAU-19 three-barrel machine gun launchers, M260 seven-tube launchers for 2.75-inch rockets, electro-optical and infrared sensors, and missile launch detection systems. The State Department did not specify how many helicopters Iraq is seeking to purchase.
The sale also covers communications systems, spare parts, ground support equipment, technical publications and training for Iraqi pilots and maintenance personnel. U.S. government and contractor personnel would provide engineering, technical and logistics support. The State Department said the sale would strengthen Iraq's rotary-wing transport, reconnaissance and air-to-surface targeting capabilities.
A 2026 Department of Defense Office of Inspector General report on Operation Inherent Resolve said Iraq's Ministry of Defense had previously submitted requests for four Bell 412EPX helicopters, 16 Bell 412M helicopters to replace Russian-made Mi-17s, and 15 Bell 407M helicopters for the light-attack role. The State Department cautioned that those earlier quantities should not be considered the quantities or configuration of the newly approved $800 million sale.
Bell-Textron, based in Fort Worth, Texas, would be the principal contractor. The State Department approval represents permission for a possible Foreign Military Sale, not a completed contract, with the final quantity, configuration and cost potentially changing as the sale moves through the approval process.
