Bell wins $300M contract to upgrade 49 US Marine Corps helicopters

Bell has landed an estimated $300 million US Navy contract to upgrade as many as 49 US Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters.

The contract covers 28 AH-1Z attack helicopters and 21 UH-1Y utility helicopters under the Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects program, known as SPINE.

Bell said it will begin the modification work at its Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas in mid-2027. The company expects to deliver the first upgraded helicopters in 2028.

The contract covers an initial period and includes options that could extend the work for another three years. It uses several payment structures depending on the type of work involved. Bell described the total value as an estimate, meaning the Navy has not necessarily committed the full $300 million.

SPINE will give the helicopters more electrical power and a new digital architecture designed to accommodate additional weapons, sensors and defensive equipment.

The upgrade also supports Link 16, an advanced databus and long-range network-enabled weapons. Those capabilities will allow H-1 crews to receive targeting information from other aircraft and operate as part of a larger network of US and allied forces.

Bell said the changes will allow the Marine Corps to add new technology more quickly as threats and mission requirements change.

“SPINE will enable H-1 operators and maintainers to implement the equipment and technology needed to keep the aircraft as a fully interoperable member of the modern joint force throughout the lifetime of the H-1 fleet,” Bell Program Manager Danielle Markham said.

The UH-1Y will also receive improvements to its fast-rope, hoist and litter equipment, supporting personnel recovery missions in remote or austere locations.

The Marine Corps refers to the new configuration as Series A. In addition to greater electrical capacity, it includes improved defensive systems and digital connectivity.

Marine Corps officials expect the upgrades to help keep the Viper and Venom relevant into the 2040s.

“The SPINE program will provide a significant increase to overall H-1 electrical capability to optimize advanced battlefield technology and ensure the H-1 fleet will continue to be relevant into the 2040s,” said Col. Jason Duke, Program Manager for the Navy’s H-1 program office.

Bell completed SPINE modifications on the first AH-1Z and UH-1Y aircraft in the fall of 2025. The company sent both helicopters to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland for flight testing.

The new contract, known as Phase 3.0, moves the program from the initial aircraft into fleet modifications.

The AH-1Z and UH-1Y share about 85% of their components, including engines, rotor systems, transmissions and avionics. The common design allows Marine Corps units to operate the attack and utility helicopters together while reducing maintenance and logistics requirements.

Bell completed deliveries of the Marine Corps’ 189-aircraft AH-1Z program of record in 2022. The company delivered the last of 160 UH-1Ys included in the original program in 2018.

The combined US Marine Corps fleet includes 349 Viper and Venom helicopters.

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