Seen in Israeli service, the AW119Kx Koala has now been approved for sale to Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Israeli Air Force)
The US government has approved the sale of Leonardo AW119Kx Koala helicopters to Bosnia and Herzegovina for an estimated USD100 million.
Announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 20 May, the Department of State Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval covers an undisclosed number of helicopters, as well as related equipment, training, and support.
“The proposed sale will improve the capability of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) to meet current and future threats by supporting regional and NATO co-operation exercises, protecting Bosnia and Herzegovinian national security interests in the country’s mountainous and inaccessible terrain. The aircraft will also enable the AFBiH to better support disaster relief, search-and-rescue, and other humanitarian aid missions in the country, and will also serve for pilot training,” the DSCA said.
While the DSCA did not give the number of Koalas to be procured, the contract value suggests as many as 20 helicopters, which would likely replace the AFBiH’s 16 Bell UH-1H and two UH-1V ‘Huey’ helicopters.
Powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-37B engine, the baseline AW119 can accommodate up to eight people, has a top speed of 144 kt, a service ceiling of 18,700 ft, a maximum range of 972 km (with auxiliary tanks), and an endurance of 5 hours and 34 minutes. It is also the only single-engined Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)-certified helicopter in production. The AW119Kx is the latest variant of the type that is equipped with a Garmin G1000HTM integrated flight-deck system, which features a synthetic vision system, moving map display, and the Helicopter Terrain Awareness Warning System (HTAWS).
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