Weeks after laying off about 3% of its workforce, Bell Textron Inc. was awarded a $43.2 million defense contract for parts needed to produce advanced helicopters.
The Fort Worth-based contractor will provide 32 gearboxes for Bell’s military helicopters — AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom — developed under the U.S. Marine Corps H-1 program to upgrade its aging fleet.
The parts will be sold to the Czech Republic through the Foreign Military Sales program, according to the June 23 announcement of the contract. The country released about $21 million — about 49% of the total amount — for the gearboxes when the contract was awarded…