September 15, 2014 Boeing prepares to build 24 AH-6I light helicopter gunships for Saudi Arabia - Intelligent Aerospace REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala., 15 Sept. 2014. Military helicopter designers at the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in Mesa, Ariz., are preparing to build 24 new AH-6I light helicopter gunships. Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., announced a $234.7 million contract to Boeing for long-lead items for the production and delivery of 24 AH-6I helicopter gunships. Long-lead items involve government payments for equipment and subsystems that take the longest to design and build, and for which an early commitment of money may be necessary to meet production deadlines. The contract was announced on 29 Aug. The Boeing AH-6 is a series of light helicopter gunships based on the MH-6 Little Bird and MD 500 family of light military helicopters, which includes the unmanned Little Bird (ULB) demonstrator, the A/MH-6X mission enhanced little bird (MELB), and the AH-6I and AH-6S.
Getting some of our oil dollars back. Hope they build in a "back door" that will cripple the bird should the need arise.
