---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2581"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2581"
heading: "Excess UH–1 Huey and AH–1 Cobra helicopters: requirements for transfer to foreign countries"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2581"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 153 — Exchange of Material and Disposal of Obsolete, Surplus, or Unclaimed Property"
---

# §2581. Excess UH–1 Huey and AH–1 Cobra helicopters: requirements for transfer to foreign countries

- (a) **Requirements.—**
  - (1) Before an excess UH–1 Huey helicopter or AH–1 Cobra helicopter is transferred on a grant or sales basis to a foreign country for the purpose of flight operations by that country, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the helicopter receives, to the extent necessary, maintenance and repair equivalent to the [depot-level maintenance and repair](/usc/10/2460.md?p=a) (as defined in [section 2460 of this title](/usc/10/2460.md)) that the helicopter would need were the helicopter to remain in operational use with the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4). Any such maintenance and repair work shall be performed at no cost to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that maintenance and repair work described in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) is performed in the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
- (b) **Exception.—** [Subsection (a)](#a) does not apply with respect to salvage helicopters provided to the foreign country solely as a source for spare parts.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title XII, § 1234(a), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2156.)