Final Delivery of Attack Helo Finishes Program of Record in Long-Running H-1 Line (For Now) 

Bell's Amarillo, Texas facility held a small ceremony for the delivery of the 189th AH-1Z Viper to the United States Marine Corps, capping off the Program of Record (POR) of the long-running H-1 platform. 

From the UH-1Y program building 160 aircraft in 2018 to the combined H-1 program's 349 aircraft today, Bell has kept the long running platform modern and competitive 60 years after leaving the drawing board. From the original Huey's roots laid down in 1959, the USMC has obtained an airframe with 85% commonality between the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom. That flexibility allows for unmatched logistical agility and cost cuts, particularly important for the Corps' highly flexible, mobile mission. 

“The first production lot of US Marine Corps H-1s was ordered in 1962, and they changed the way Marines fight today,” said Mike Deslatte, Bell H-1 vice president and program director. “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.”

“H-1s are key to the 2022 Marine Corps Aviation Plan,” said Colonel Vasillios Pappas, Light and Attack Helicopter program manager at PMA-276. “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.”

FMI: www.bellflight.com