The original specification was to replace Mi-24s. Bell stood against UH-60M and the offer for the mixed option came unexpectedly. The rest happened behind closed doors no matter the figures released to the public.
Many believe that going forward with a US supplied solution is a very important diplomatic and political gesture. And many are losing sleep for exactly the same reasons.
Shor recap from the MoD website
PR team
Once again on Venoms and Vipers, in response to the most frequently asked questions over social media. To summarize and partly explain some of the previous arguments.
You asked us a lot why exactly 12 pieces, why exactly 8 + 4 and if four combat Vipers are not too few. We will try to explain in detail and show what helicopters have in common and how they differ.
1) The army now operates a total of 10 Mi-24 machines. These will be replaced by the H-1 system (Venom and Viper). Twelve pieces are currently a sufficient number. Our concept envisages the possibility of increasing the number of units in the future, especially for Vipers.
2) Why do we call it a system? Because Venoms and Vipers function as a whole, they support and complement each other. Rather than purchasing two different systems we are buying one. Reiterating here there is 85% identical parts to simplify maintenance, reduce cost of operation and enable mixed fleet training for pilots.
3) The H-1 system was developed for a range of tasks (the versatility we required).
4) Venoms and Vipers are armed and perform the tasks of fire support forground units.
5) The H-1 system also fullfills personnel transport and SAR missions.
6) It is the first step towards the introduction of NATO-compatible combat helicopters.
Shrnutí informa?ní kampan?: Argumenty Armády ?R k po?ízení nových vrtulník? | Ministerstvo obrany