US Bell Helicopters is planning to invest in Ukraine’s defense industry and begins to produce helicopters in the country, according to Ukrainian minister Oleksiy Sobolev.
The local government is ready to support the project with mechanisms that focus on attracting foreign capital. The plan is currently in the phase of technical consultation and feasibility studies.
The proposal is not entirely new: the local production of the UH-1 helicopter has previously been discussed, but the project has not been implemented. Since 2022, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Bell has increased its models for Ukrainian armed forces. In July 2024, at Farnborough Airshow, the company officially unveiled Bell 407M, a militarized version of their multifunctional helicopter.
In addition, Kyiv has been asking for the AH-1Z Viper offensive helicopters since 2022 as part of the United States’ military aid package.
There are no concrete details of Bell’s next steps in Ukraine, but the company is expected to focus on the military sector before discovering the civilian market.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: x @bellflight | This content is made with artificial intelligence and revised by Editorial Team
