In a ceremony on the Amarillo Meeting Heart, Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) firm, celebrated the supply of the 189th AH-1Z Viper to the U.S. Marine Corps, finishing the Program of Document (POR) for the most recent model of the storied H-1 platform. Bell accomplished the UH-1Y POR of 160 plane in 2018 bringing the mixed H-1 POR to 349 plane. Bell has been producing H-1s for the U.S. army since 1959. Bell initially designed the H-1 for the U.S. Military with the long-lasting “Huey.” In 1966 Bell created the AH-1 Cobra as the primary devoted gunship. In 1970, the Bell UH-1N introduced twin engine capabilities to greater than 28 international locations, and in 1984 the AH-1W supplied the U.S. Marine Corps elevated assault helicopter functionality.
“H-1s are key to the 2022 Marine Corps Aviation Plan. With the US program of record now complete, the Marines have the flexibility to manage and deploy the helicopters based on current and future mission requirements as established at the start of the program,” said Col. Vasillios Pappas, Light/Attack Helicopters program manager (PMA-276).
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“The first production lot of US Marine Corps H-1s was ordered in 1962, and they changed the way Marines fight today. Completing the AH-1Z and UH-1Y deliveries to the US Marine Corps adds one more chapter to the legacy of the H-1 platform,” said Mike Deslatte, Bell H-1 vice president and program director.
The current generation AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom are the most agile, mobile, and survivable combination of aircraft used by the Department of Defense. The AH-1Z and UH-1Y share a common tailboom, engines, rotor system, drivetrain, avionics architecture, software, controls and displays for over 84% identical components.[28][29] Each plane use twin Common Electrical T700-GE-401C turboshaft outputting 1,800 shp (1,350 kW) every. Upgrades can even be made to the transmission (rated for two,350 hp (1,750 kW)) and skid touchdown gear. The AH-1Z achieved preliminary working capability in February 2011 and the UH-1Y achieved preliminary working capability in August 2008. The primary mixed Viper/Venom deployment with a Marine Expeditionary Unit occurred in 2009.
The H-1 manufacturing line continues to be energetic in help of international army gross sales to accredited U.S. allies. The said mission of the H-1 improve program is to “resolve present security deficiencies, considerably enhance operational capabilities, and scale back life-cycle prices. Bell continues to provide AH-1Z Vipers for the Kingdom of Bahrain and can manufacture eight UH-1Ys and 4 AH-1Zs for the Czech Republic in 2023. Because the first supply of the AH-1Zs and UH-1Ys to the U.S. Marines, the H-1 combined fleet has gathered greater than 450,000 flight hours by a full spectrum of army operations. Bell will proceed to help the U.S. H-1s with lethality, survivability, and reliability upgrades by a long-term modernization plan that helps make sure the plane hold an amazing tactical benefit for generations.
