The American company Bell Helicopter plans to invest in the development of Ukrainian industry and expand the production of helicopters in Ukraine. About this informs Oleksiy Sobolev, Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
According to him, the government is ready to support this initiative and offers effective tools to attract investors. The minister emphasized that the stage of technical consultations and comprehensive analysis is ahead, but the implementation of this project can become a new stage of cooperation between Ukraine and the USA in the field of defense industry.
The idea of starting production of Bell helicopters in Ukraine was discussed earlier. In particular, there was talk about the possibility of localizing a civilian version of the UH-1, but these plans did not develop. After the start of a full-scale war, the company intensified its efforts to supply its equipment for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
At the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2024, Bell Helicopter officially presented a combat modification of the Bell 407M multipurpose helicopter, the only copy of which is planned to be adapted to the needs of the Ukrainian market.
Starting in 2022, Ukraine sent official requests to the United States for the transfer of AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters as part of the military assistance program. The company’s strategic plans for its presence in Ukraine are still in the process of formation. At the same time, for now, the main emphasis will be on military products, and later on the needs of the civilian sector.
