The United States has approved a possible $800 million Foreign Military Sale to Iraq covering Bell helicopters, weapons and related equipment, according to the State Department. The notification allows the proposed transaction to proceed through the U.S. military sales process, but it is not a completed contract. The final quantity, configuration and cost could change before an agreement is concluded, and the notification does not specify how many helicopters Iraq is seeking.
The package includes equipment for transport, reconnaissance and air-to-surface targeting missions. Its listed weapons include GAU-19 three-barrel machine gun launchers and M260 seven-tube launchers for 2.75-inch rockets. The proposed sale also includes L-3 Wescam MX-15HDI electro-optical/infrared sensors and AN/AAR-60 Block 2 missile launch detection systems.
The sensor and warning systems would be accompanied by communications and sustainment equipment. The notification lists Very High Frequency radios, spare parts, ground support equipment, technical publications and data. It also includes new-equipment training for Iraqi pilots and maintenance personnel.
U.S. government and contractor personnel would provide engineering, technical and logistics support under the proposed arrangement. Bell-Textron, based in Fort Worth, Texas, would be the principal contractor.
The State Department said the proposed sale would strengthen Iraq’s rotary-wing transport, reconnaissance and air-to-surface targeting capabilities. The department also said the transaction would support U.S. foreign policy and national security interests by improving the security of a strategic partner.
The proposal follows earlier U.S.-Iraqi efforts to modernize Iraq’s helicopter fleet. A 2026 Department of Defense Office of Inspector General report on Operation Inherent Resolve said Iraq’s Ministry of Defense had submitted Foreign Military Sales requests for four Bell 412EPXs and 16 Bell 412Ms to replace Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters. The report also identified a request for 15 new Bell 407Ms to replace existing 407s in the light-attack role.
Those earlier requests are separate from the newly notified transaction. The State Department’s notification does not identify an aircraft count or state that the earlier quantities are included in the $800 million proposal. It also does not establish a final aircraft model mix or equipment configuration.
The $800 million figure represents the estimated value of a possible sale that includes aircraft, weapons, sensors, communications equipment, training, support and other associated items. The value is not a confirmed contract amount. The transaction’s eventual scope and price will depend on the later stages of the Foreign Military Sales process.
Defense News reported the State Department’s announcement.