AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Bell Textron announced the completion of the first AH-1Z and UH-1Y aircraft with full structure and power deliver upgrades under the U.S. Marine Corps’ SPINE program, which the company said emphasizes modernization to increase the “survivability and lethality” of the H-1 fleet.
According to Bell Textron, the SPINE program stands for “Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects,” which was renamed from the “Structural Improvement and Electrical Power Upgrade (SIEPU)” program. The program is aimed at enabling the H-1 fleet to use enhanced weapons systems and “other future capabilities.”
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As noted by Bell Textron, the completed aircraft left the Amarillo Assembly Center and were at Naval Air Station Patuxent River for continued flight testing, as of Tuesday. The tests will determine the final SPINE configuration to be modified in Amarillo and fielded to the USMC in future contracted efforts.
“To have these first two aircraft completed under the SPINE program is a huge moment for us,” said Scott Sims, H-1 program director at Bell. “At Bell, crew safety and aircraft effectiveness remain the number one priority on everything we do. These upgrades will ensure that our H-1 aircraft remain the most capable aircraft available, while operating at the forefront of modern missions. They will continue to excel at the job they were designed to do for many years to come.”…