BEIRUT: The Pentagon has notified the U.S. Congress of a possible sale of Huey II helicopters to Lebanon, after the State Department approved the long-stalled request.
"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Lebanon for Huey II rotary wing aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $180 million," the Defense Department's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement on Sept. 19.
The sale will include 18 U.S.-made Huey II helicopters, an upgraded version of the aging Huey I that the Lebanese Army currently operates. In 2012, Lebanon requested six of the new helicopters and received initial approval by the Pentagon, but the sale never went through. The Lebanese Army currently has one Huey II platform, which is an upgrade of the UH-1H helicopter to increase its operational and military capabilities.