Bell commemorates first production AH-1Z aircraft for Nigeria - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

The aircraft is part of a Foreign Military Sales program approved by the Department of War in 2024. Delegates toured the production line and signed the frame of the helicopter destined for the Nigerian Air Force, according to a Bell news release.

Scott Sims, Bell's H-1 program director, said the company was honored to host the delegation. He called it a milestone for the AH-1Z line, which builds attack helicopters used by military forces overseas.

For West Texas, the deal keeps Bell's Amarillo plant running on international orders, work that ripples through the region's aerospace supply chain and the skilled labor tied to it. The South Plains has long had a stake in Bell's production output, and foreign contracts like this one help keep that pipeline steady. Nigeria gains a new attack helicopter for its air force, and Bell adds another country to its list of international customers for the Viper.