An undisclosed overseas buyer has purchased three Bell 412EPX medium-twin helicopters through the Pentagon’s foreign military sales (FMS) system.
The $37 million contract was awarded to Bell on 8 October, with delivery of the aircraft scheduled to take place before 2025.
However, the contract announcement from the Pentagon did not specify an intended recipient or quantity of aircraft covered. The US Army, which is administratively managing the transaction, also declines to provide specifics on the buyer and intended mission set.
While the army’s aviation procurement office did confirm to FlightGlobal on 15 October that the sale is being overseen by its Cargo Helicopters Project Office, the service says it “does not release specific information on FMS because of potential customer sensitivities”.
Speaking on background, another official within US Army headquarters at the Pentagon separately confirms three 412EPXs are on order, with more than one intended recipient.
“This contract is for three helicopters, and was awarded to serve multiple foreign military sales customers,” the official said on 16 October. “However, their names cannot be listed due to agreements with the partner nations concerning contracting activities.”
Bell referred all questions on the deals to the US Army.
While 412s in military service typically fill a utility role, Bell does have experience converting commercial helicopters into armed platforms. The company offers a conversion kit for its 407 type that allows for the mounting of outboard machine guns, rocket pods and hard points for precision munitions.
Bell has positioned the so-called 407 “mission kit” as an affordable alternative to bespoke attack helicopters. The package is also available for direct commercial sales and not subject to the regulatory review under the lengthy FMS process.
The 412EPX is a joint venture of Bell and Japanese automaker Subaru, representing the latest version of Bell’s widely-used 412 type. It features a reinforced main rotor gearbox that improves horsepower and maximum weight capacity, according to Bell.
That improvement enables the aircraft to transport more supplies and perform operations more efficiently. The 412EPX has a maximum internal weight of 5,440kg (12,200lb), an external weight of 5,900kg and up to 2,270kg of materiel with a cargo hook.
Bell developed the type with Subaru in 2015 for Japan’s UH-X competition to replace the Japan Self-Defense Force’s fleet of Bell UH-1J Hueys. The first test aircraft was delivered to the service in 2019 with the designation UH-2 – officially entering operational service in 2022.
Tokyo plans to acquire some 150 UH-2s, with 11 having been delivered thus far. Bell also delivered two 412EPXs each to Guatemla and Croatia in 2022.
Earlier variants of the 412 are in service with dozens of military services globally, including many developing nations in Africa and Latin America. Notable operators include Indonesia (59), Mexico (10), Pakistan (32), Chile (32), Slovenia (8), Zimbabwe (8) and Thailand (5).
Several large militaries operate 412 derivatives, including Canada and Norway.
The Royal Canadian Air Force currently operates 82 examples of the 412, under the local designation CH-146 Griffon. Representing the Canada’s primary utility and troop transport platform, the RCAF currently plans to operate the CH-146 until at least the mid-2030s under a $1.6 billion sustainment contract announced in January.
However, Ottawa is also actively looking for a replacement for the 412-type, under a $13.5 billion initiative announced in April.
Norway launched a modernisation effort for its fleet of 18 412s in September, after abandoning an earlier plan to acquire a new special forces helicopter.
