Bell secures $300 million contract to modernise US Marine Corps H-1 helicopter fleet

Bell Textron has been awarded an estimated US$300 million contract by the U.S. Department of the Navy to upgrade up to 49 U.S. Marine Corps H-1 helicopters under the Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects (SPINE) programme.

The contract covers the modernisation of 21 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters and 28 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters. Work will be carried out at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas, beginning in mid-2027, with the first upgraded aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2028.

Known as SPINE Phase 3.0, the programme is designed to significantly increase the aircraft’s electrical power generation and digital architecture, enabling the integration of next-generation mission systems, weapons and communications while extending the operational relevance of the H-1 fleet into the 2040s.

According to Bell, the upgrades will introduce a more scalable mission architecture, improved defensive systems, enhanced interoperability and greater capacity to integrate future technologies. The modernised aircraft will also feature Link 16 tactical data links, support for network-enabled precision weapons, and improved mission equipment for the UH-1Y, including upgraded fast-rope, rescue hoist and litter systems to enhance personnel recovery operations.

“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,” said Danielle Markham, Bell’s H-1 programme manager.

The U.S. Marine Corps says the additional electrical capacity will support increasingly sophisticated battlefield technologies while improving the helicopters’ ability to operate alongside fixed-wing aircraft in joint operations. Flying at low altitude, the upgraded H-1 helicopters will be able to receive targeting information from other platforms while remaining below many enemy radar detection thresholds.

“H-1s are essential to maintaining attack, strike and utility capabilities within the Marine Corps,” said Colonel Jason Duke, Programme Manager for PMA-276. “The SPINE programme will provide a significant increase in overall H-1 electrical capability to optimise advanced battlefield technology and ensure the H-1 fleet remains relevant into the 2040s.”

Bell completed the first prototype SPINE upgrades on one UH-1Y and one AH-1Z in 2025, with both aircraft subsequently undergoing flight testing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The new contract marks the transition from prototype development to fleet-wide modification.