US Marine Corps Accepts Last AH-1Z Viper Helicopter, Legacy UH-1Y Venom as Contract Ends

Bell Textron delivers the 189th AH-1Z Viper helicopter to the US Marine Corps, marking the end of the UH-1Y Venom's legacy platform. The last of the H-1s will be delivered to the Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas following this.

The USMC received a total of UH-1Y helicopters in 2018, and now operates 349 of them. According to Defense Post, the Venom will modernize Twin Huey for the US Army and replace the earlier model, the two-blade Super Cobra.

Legacy Units: AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y

Viper features a glass cockpit, a four-blade tail rotor, a composite quad-rotor system, and enhanced landing and transmission capabilities. Tank killing, anti-air, and carrying weapons missions are among its strengths.

The US military began using Hueys made by the company Bell in 1959, and in 1966 the first Cobra gunship was produced. The Bell Huey with the two engines was marketed to 28 nations in the 1970s. According to Vertical Mag, the USMC purchased the Super Cobra in 1984 to add to its arsenal of gunships.

The first USMC Hueys were deployed in 1962, according to Mike Deslatte, vice president and program director at Bell. Since then, it has changed how marines battle. This Bell Huey period comes to an end with the completion of the contract to complete the tender for all of the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom that the US Marine Corps ordered.

Combined Air Fleet in the US Forces

Due to their nearly identical specs, the Viper and Venom provide seamless operations and logistics. These units were first run side by side in 2011 and 2008. 2009 saw the deployment of both Navy seals as a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

This mixed fleet of Viper and Venom has flown for more than 450,000 hours. Vasillios Pappas mentions that the PMA-276 Light/Attack Helicopters Program, which is a component of the 2022 Marine Corps Aviation Plan, includes the Viper gunship. The US program has been completed, and the USMC will deploy these units in accordance with the initiative.

Only recognized allies may purchase the all-purpose helicopter from Bell Textron. Bahrain will be the next nation to get Viper gunships, and the Czech Republic will also receive additional of them as well as updated Venoms. Per US Department of Defense website, the US Navy's H-1 light attack helicopters will receive $228 million in equipment and software modifications thanks to Bell Textron, an American aerospace corporation.

The contract specifies that the agreement includes updating the aircraft with newer and enhanced capability through configuration settings. The company, which is based in the US Department of Defense (DoD), will update the airframe to meet current requirements for interface terminals, flight avionics, and weapon control interfaces.

As part of the agreement, more work will be carried out in Texas to evaluate and record new capabilities and inconsistencies relating to aircraft control systems, wiring harnesses, and weaponry that will be finished in 2027.

The AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom, which are both in use by the US Marine Corps, are essential for the USMC and Army despite being rather outdated in light of upcoming modern platforms.