US Approves $800 Million Military Helicopter Sale to Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The United States State Department approved an $800 million foreign military sale of helicopters to Iraq on Monday with Bell-Textron of Fort Worth, Texas named as the principal contractor in a package that includes Bell 412EPX and Bell 407M helicopters along with a comprehensive suite of weapons systems, targeting equipment, and logistical support, as confirmed by the State Department's official transmittal notice and Reuters reporting on Monday.

The proposed deal, designated Transmittal No. 26-85 under the Foreign Military Sales program, includes Bell 412EPX helicopters for troop transport and Bell 407M helicopters for reconnaissance and light attack missions, machine-gun systems, rocket launchers, optical and infrared targeting systems, missile-launch detection equipment, radios, spare parts, training, and logistical support, as Worthy News confirmed from the State Department's official notice on Monday.

US officials said the sale would help Iraq meet "current and future threats" by improving its rotary-wing transport, surveillance, and air-to-surface capabilities. The State Department approval is a notification under the foreign military sales process rather than a signed contract, clearing the possible sale for congressional review. The stated value of $800 million represents a ceiling estimate, with the final order typically coming in below the notification figure, as Newsquawk noted on Monday. Sustainment and training packages typically account for a large share of the stated value alongside the airframes themselves.

The timing of the approval is significant on multiple levels. It comes on the same day as the September 30, 2026, coalition withdrawal deadline approaches, with the international anti-ISIS coalition led by Washington preparing to end its formal military mission in Iraq by the end of the month. The helicopter sale signals that the conclusion of the coalition mission does not represent a withdrawal of American security engagement with Baghdad but rather a transition to a bilateral defense relationship built on Iraqi ownership of its own military capabilities.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited the White House earlier this month, a visit that led to the Starlink licensing agreement for Iraq and reinforced the framework for US-Iraq economic and security cooperation. The $800 million helicopter sale, announced on the same day Trump declared Iran a failed nation and the US launched fresh strikes on IRGC forces near Hormuz, represents one of the largest single US-Iraq defense transactions of the conflict period and a concrete investment in Iraq's long-term capacity to defend its own territory and airspace.

The Bell 412EPX is a twin-engine medium utility helicopter capable of carrying up to 13 passengers or significant cargo loads, making it well suited for the troop transport and medical evacuation roles that Iraqi forces require across the country's diverse terrain. The Bell 407M is a lighter single-engine platform optimized for reconnaissance, light attack, and training missions, with a combat-proven track record across multiple theaters of operation. Together, the two platforms provide Iraq with a complementary rotary-wing capability spanning the full spectrum from heavy lift to precision engagement.

Iraq has been a Bell-Textron customer for decades, with prior foreign military sales including armed Bell 407GX helicopters delivered in 2018 and extensive sustainment support packages for the Bell 407 and Huey II. Monday's $800 million sale represents the largest single Bell-Textron transaction with Baghdad and reflects the scale of the investment Washington is making in Iraq's post-coalition military self-sufficiency.