- Six of the 12 high-tech choppers will be delivered in April 2019
- The others will come in August when the contract matures
- They will be used in lodging aerial attacks against al-Shabaab
- Government had, however, announced major budget cuts in ministries
The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) is set to receive six brand new attack helicopters ordered from the US.
The six copters are half of the 12 that were approved for purchase by the government in May 2017 to a tune of KSh 25 billion.
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The contract for their purchase was awarded through U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
However, this emerged shortly after the government implemented major budget cuts in various departments in a bid to meet revenue targets to finance the 2018/19 KSh 3 trillion budget.
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According to MD Helicopters, the manufacturing company, the initial deliveries will take place in April 2019, with all the 12 aircraft delivered prior to the August 2019 contract completion date.
The helicopters are envisioned to bolsters KDF battle against al-Shabaab by giving the servicemen modern and effective aerial surveillance.
"In addition to an advanced, all-glass cockpit and ballistically tolerant crashworthy fuel system, Kenya’s MD 530F Cayuse Warrior fleet will be outfitted with the full complement of mission equipment standard to the Cayuse Warrior," MD Helicopters said in a statement.
Other configurations of the aircraft are:
FN Herstal Weapons Management System
DillonAero Mission Configurable Armament System (MCAS)
DillonAero Fixed-Forward Sighting System
62mm ballistic armor protection
FN Herstal .50 caliber HMP 400 Machine Gun Pods
M260 7-shot rocket pods
The KDF’s six armed MD 530F aircraft will also include an enhanced communication system that features the Harris RF-7850A tactical radio and the Rockwell Collins HF-9000D.
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