# Bell H-1 fleet reach 500,000-flight hour milestone

- Link: https://www.military.africa/2023/07/bell-h-1-fleet-reach-500000-flight-hour-milestone/
- Published: 2023-07-07T10:43:03+01:00
- Author: Military Africa

The current H-1 fleet of AH-1Z Vipers and UH-1Y Venoms reached a major flight milestone
by surpassing the 500,000-flight hour mark. Nearly 400 AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters,
built by Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc (NYSE:TXT) company and operated by the
U.S. Marine Corps and their allies, combined to achieve the milestone.

“The H-1 continues to be the premier example of a family of aircraft that can do
more with less and deliver unmatched interoperability and expeditionary agility,”
said Mike Deslatte, Bell H-1 vice president and program director. “We are thrilled
to reach this tremendous milestone and excited for the future of both the Viper 
and the Venom as they continue to grow in number and capability around the world.”

The H-1 Viper and Venom provide tremendous versatility to the fleet. Both variants
demonstrated integration with advanced weapons and datalink capabilities.

“We are proud that the first 500,000 flight hours of the UH-1Y and AH-1Z included
constant deployments to austere deserts, numerous types of naval vessels, and frigid
cold environments in support of U.S. and allied service members on the ground and
at sea,” said Nate Green, Bell H-1 program manager. “With the Viper and Venom sharing
85 per cent commonality of parts, a major advantage of this program is that a single
readiness improvement or capability upgrade can often support both aircraft.”

Bell supports the future of H-1s through its work on the Marine Corps Structural
Improvement Electrical Power Upgrade (SIEPU) program. Structural and electrical 
modifications optimize the aircraft to improve mission capabilities, aircrew safety,
and interoperability. Bell is currently working to increase the electrical power
capacity on the platform, which will allow the airframe to support the integration
of additional capabilities for years to come.

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“This milestone highlights the crucial missions our customers have accomplished 
with the H-1 during this time. Congratulations to the U.S. Marine Corps and their
allies on this tremendous milestone. Bell is proud to be your partner on this platform,”
added Deslatte.

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Bell provides diverse and comprehensive services to H-1 squadrons, including parts,
maintenance, training, on-site field representatives, and data analytics, supporting
worldwide operations.

Last year, Bell Textron Inc., [celebrated the delivery of the 189th AH-1Z Viper to the U.S. Marine Corps](https://www.military.africa/2022/11/bell-textron-delivers-189th-ah-1z-viper-to-the-u-s-marine-corps/),
completing the Program of Record (POR) for the latest version of the storied H-1
platform. Bell completed the UH-1Y POR of 160 aircraft in 2018 bringing the combined
H-1 POR to 349 aircraft.

Bell has been producing H-1s for the U.S. military since 1959. Bell originally designed
the H-1 for the U.S. Army with the iconic “Huey.” In 1966 Bell created the AH-1 
Cobra as the first dedicated gunship. In 1970, the Bell UH-1N brought twin-engine
capabilities to more than 28 countries, and in 1984 the AH-1W provided the U.S. 
Marine Corps with increased attack helicopter capability.

Bell Textron Inc., [has also completed the AH-1Z program of record (POR) for the Kingdom of Bahrain.](https://www.military.africa/2023/02/bell-completes-ah-1z-attack-helicopter-programme-for-bahrain/)
Bell delivered the final production aircraft to Naval Air Systems Command in December
of 2022.

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The first Bahrain AH-1Zs made their in-country debut during the Bahrain Air Show
and six have been delivered in country. The final six helicopters will be prepared
for shipment to Bahrain with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) before
being transported to Bahrain in 2023.

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