The United States has approved a possible $800 million Foreign Military Sale to Iraq involving Bell helicopters, weapons and related equipment, according to the State Department. The approval marks a step in the U.S. government’s sales process, but it does not specify how many helicopters Iraq is seeking and does not represent a completed contract.
The package includes GAU-19 three-barrel machine gun launchers and M260 seven-tube launchers for 2.75-inch rockets. It also lists L-3 Wescam MX-15HDI electro-optical/infrared sensors and AN/AAR-60 Block 2 missile launch detection systems.
The State Department described the proposed sale as a way to strengthen Iraq’s rotary-wing transport, reconnaissance and air-to-surface targeting capabilities. It also said the proposal would help Iraq address current and future threats and support U.S. foreign policy and national security interests by improving the security of a strategic partner.
The proposed equipment is not limited to aircraft and weapons. The package includes Very High Frequency radios, spare parts, ground support equipment, technical publications and data. It also includes new-equipment training for Iraqi pilots and maintenance personnel. U.S. government and contractor personnel would provide engineering, technical and logistics support.
The State Department did not identify the number of helicopters in the package. As a result, the proposed $800 million value cannot be used to calculate a per-aircraft price or establish the fleet’s precise composition. The final quantity, configuration and cost could change as the proposal moves through the Foreign Military Sales process.
The approval therefore does not confirm that Iraq has signed a purchase agreement, received any equipment or committed to spend the full stated value. Foreign Military Sales approvals allow a proposed transaction to proceed through additional steps before a contract is finalized and equipment is produced or delivered.
Bell-Textron, based in Fort Worth, Texas, is identified as the principal contractor for the proposed sale. The announcement does not provide a production timetable, delivery schedule or breakdown of the estimated value among helicopters, weapons, sensors, radios, training and other equipment.
The proposal comes amid earlier U.S.-Iraqi efforts to modernize Iraq’s military helicopter fleet. A 2026 Department of Defense Office of Inspector General report on Operation Inherent Resolve said Iraq’s Ministry of Defense had submitted Foreign Military Sales requests for four Bell 412EPXs and 16 Bell 412Ms to replace Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters. The report also cited a request for 15 new Bell 407Ms to replace existing 407s in the light-attack role.
Those numbers come from the inspector general report and do not establish the quantity or configuration of the newly approved possible sale. The earlier requests therefore provide background on Iraq’s reported fleet-modernization plans, but they cannot be treated as a list of aircraft included in the $800 million proposal.
The newly approved package also leaves the Bell models unspecified in the State Department account. Without a stated helicopter count, model breakdown or configuration, the announcement does not establish whether the earlier requests correspond to the current proposal or whether the new package reflects different requirements.
The listed equipment indicates that the proposal combines transport-related aircraft, weapons, sensors, communications equipment and support services in one potential sale. The approval does not establish when any of those items would be ordered, manufactured or delivered. Those details would depend on subsequent steps in the Foreign Military Sales process and on any agreement ultimately reached with Iraq.
The State Department’s announcement provides the proposed value and broad categories of equipment, along with the U.S. government’s policy rationale for approving the possible transaction. It does not provide a final contract amount, a delivery schedule or a confirmed inventory of aircraft and systems. The proposal remains subject to changes in quantity, configuration and cost before any completed sale.