Next chapter for Bell’s H-1 helicopters begins

Submitted to the Amarillo Globe-News

The first Bell AH-1Z set to receive upgrades to be provided by Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, under a contract with the U.S. Marine Corps, has arrived at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center, the company announced recently.

The Structural Improvement Electrical Power Upgrade (SIEPU) modifications "optimize the aircraft to improve mission capabilities, aircrew safety, and interoperability by increasing the electrical power capacity on the aircraft and support the integration of additional cabin capabilities," a news release states.

The first Bell AH-1Z set to receive an upgrade provided by Bell Textron Inc., under a contract with the U.S. Marine Corps, has arrived at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center. Bell plans to continue supporting the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom through the 2040s in alignment with the Marine Corps Aviation Plan.
The first Bell AH-1Z set to receive an upgrade provided by Bell Textron Inc., under a contract with the U.S. Marine Corps, has arrived at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center. Bell plans to continue supporting the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom through the 2040s in alignment with the Marine Corps Aviation Plan.

SIEPU marks the start of the next chapter in the life of domestic H-1 helicopters, following the completion of the U.S. Marine Corps Program of Record in November 2022, according to the release.

“The Bell AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom provide the backbone of attack and utility aviation support in the various battlespaces in which they are used, so SIEPU comes at an important time for the future strategic implementation of this platform,” said Mike Deslatte, Bell H-1 senior vice president and program director, in the release. “SIEPU will be immediately beneficial for today’s operations, and also sets the H-1 up to quickly support future operational needs, some that may not even be conceived of yet.”

“We are confident that SIEPU will help the Marine Corps expand mission essential tasks with more mission flexibility,” said Danielle Markham, SIEPU program manager. “The important thing is to make sure the H-1 is in a position to take advantage of those opportunities as they become available.”

A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 362 (Reinforced), 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducts flight operations over the Pacific Ocean, Aug. 8, 2022.
A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 362 (Reinforced), 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducts flight operations over the Pacific Ocean, Aug. 8, 2022.

Prior to arriving at the Bell Amarillo Assembly Center, the AH-1Z and UH-1Y completed datalink capabilities testing with the Marine Corps modifications at Camp Pendleton and testing with VMX-1 in Yuma.

In this Feb. 25, 2019 photo, U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), engage an unmanned aerial system with a GAU-17 minigun during a drone interception live-fire exercise in the Pacific Ocean.
In this Feb. 25, 2019 photo, U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), engage an unmanned aerial system with a GAU-17 minigun during a drone interception live-fire exercise in the Pacific Ocean.

Bell said it plans to continue supporting the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom through the 2040s in alignment with the Marine Corps Aviation Plan.

For more information on Textron and Bell, visit www.textron.com.

The first Bell AH-1Z set to receive an upgrade provided by Bell Textron Inc., under a contract with the U.S. Marine Corps, has arrived at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center. Bell plans to continue supporting the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom through the 2040s in alignment with the Marine Corps Aviation Plan.
The first Bell AH-1Z set to receive an upgrade provided by Bell Textron Inc., under a contract with the U.S. Marine Corps, has arrived at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center. Bell plans to continue supporting the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom through the 2040s in alignment with the Marine Corps Aviation Plan.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: First AH-1Z to get upgrade arrives at Bell Amarillo Assembly Center

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