The American manufacturer Bell Helicopters plans to invest in the Ukraine defense industry and to start the production of helicopters in the country, said Ukrainian Economic Minister Oleksiy Sobolev.
The local government was ready to support the project with mechanisms to attract foreign investments. The plan is currently in the phase of technical consultations and feasibility studies.
The proposal is not entirely new: a local production of the civil version of the UH-1 helicopter was already considered, but the project was not pursued. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, Bell has intensified the offer of its models for the Ukrainian armed forces. In July 2024, the company officially proposed the Bell 407m at the Farnborough Airshow, a militarized version of its multi -purpose helicopter.
In addition, Kiev has requested the delivery of the AH-1Z Viper attack persistence to be delivered as part of the US military aid package since 2022.
There are still no concrete details about Bell’s next steps in Ukraine, but it is expected to focus on the military sector before opening up the civilian market.
Those: Militarnyi | Photo: X @Bellflight | This content was created with the help of AI and checked by the editorial team
