The H-1 Helicopter Program: An Update on the Updates

The H-1 program is the U.S. Marine Corps' plan to remanufacture older helicopters into new and improved UH-1Y utility and AH-1Z attack helicopters.

The program was authorized by the Secretary of the Navy in 1995, was meant to be a bridge until the Joint Replacement Aircraft was available in 2020.

It seemed simple when authorized, but it has since run into its share of delays and issues. Here are the updates on the Marine Corps utility and attack helicopters.

The Bell AH-1Z Viper Aircraft will replace the aging AH-1W Cobra (Photo Courtesy Bell)

For many working with and following the USMC's fleet, an update was a long time coming.

The U.S. Marines' helicopter force was aging at all levels. The Ch-46 Sea Knight transports have long been older than their pilots. The UH-1N Hueys and AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters make up the Corps' helicopter assault forc, but they're from the 1980s-era of flight.

While the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey program may continue its 2-decade stint in flight, the replacement of the USMCs backbone helicopter assets will be updated to meet the high-demand scenarios inherent to U.S. current war efforts.

The new versions of the attack helicopters would discard the signature 2-bladed rotors for a more modern 4-bladed model. The program would also redo the aircrafts' electronics, add improved engines and upgraded performance weapons. These improvements would also enhance the deployability and maintainability of the aircraft.

The program consists of three type/model/series aircraft: the legacy AH- 1W, the AH-1Z and UH-1Y.

The UH-1Y Venom has now fully replaced the UH-1N Huey. As the next generation of utility aircraft, its speed, range, and payload have been increased. The aircraft's efficiency has decreased supportability demands, training timelines, and total ownership cost.

The fleet is currently transitioning from the AH-1W Cobra to the AH-1Z Viper, another Bell aircraft. It is the next generation of attack aircraft, and also improved upon its predecessor's speed, range and payload capabilities to decrease maintenance workloads and costs.

The advanced cockpit in both the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom, reduces operator workload and provides growth potential for future weapons and interoperability.

The AH-1Z transition is expected to be complete in 2021, and the AH-1W will continue to serve into 2021 as the force transitions to the AH-1Z.

Longbow Tapped for Apache Helicopters Spare Parts Contract

The U.S. Army awarded Longbow, LLC, a $32 million contract modification to provide spare parts kits for AH-64 Apache helicopters.

These kits will be sent to India, U.A.E., Morocco and Netherlands as part of Fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales. The total amount obligated at the time of award is $32,154,552 for the contract modification.

AH-64E Apache takes off from its landing pad after arming and refueling during the unit's rotation at the National Training Center on Fort Irwin, Calif.

Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, close to a variety of aerospace and defense suppliers on the Space Coast. The estimated completion date is April 30, 2024.

Longbow produces equipment for the aerospace and defense industry, offering products including electrical components for helicopters and other vehicles, and has recieved multiple contracts and contract modifications to provide support to AH-64E Apache around the world.

In January this year, Longbow won a Foreign Military Sales contract in joint venture with Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman to provide support services for AH-64D Apache military customers, including the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Greece, India, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.

The $235.8 million contract was awarded in February to support AH-64D and AH 64E configurations for procurement of production support services for the Fire Control Radar System for the Apache attack helicopter.

This five-year sustainment contract provided post-production support services including program and logistics management, repair of system modules, replenishing depot parts, field engineering support and operator and maintainer training.

Longbow was also awarded a $164,606,754 contract for AH-64E helicopter mast mounted assembly/radar electronics units in September. 

Defense suppliers in Florida can expect a rise in demand for structural, electronic and radar equipment as this Maine-based Longbow completes work on multiple contracts in Orlando over the next few years.

U.S. Army experimental test pilots fly Bell V-280 Valor

Experimental test pilots with the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center (RTC) conducted flights of the Bell-V280 Valor aircraft during August 2020 in support of the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) selection program.

These flight tests part of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) preparations for the FLRAA test effort, a key element of Army Modernization. 

U.S. Army Experimental Test Pilot Maj. Wesley Paulsen and Bell Aircraft pilot Mr. Paul Ryan walk toward the Bell V-280 Valor (Photo Credit: Jay Miller)

"This is a tremendous opportunity for army experimental test pilots to fly the tech demonstrators developed under the Joint Multi-Role Technical Demonstrator Program; providing an initial familiarization with advanced rotorcraft technologies we might expect to see in the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program of record,” said Brig. Gen. Walter Rugen, Director of the FVL Cross-Functional Team.

The FLRAA is on track for full rate production by 2030, and if all goes well for the Bell-V280 Valor there may be more Bell helicopter parts in circulation and helicopter pilots in training.

Maj. Wesley Paulsen and Mr. Adam Cowan, Army XPs from RTC, trained in the Software Integration Lab at Bell Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas during the week of Aug. 24, before flying the Bell V-280 Valor. 

U.S. Army test pilots provide early embedded soldier touch points to put system capabilities into mission relevant context and to ensure the warfighter gets the best capabilities possible. They play an important role in the acquisition process of fielding an aircraft. Army test pilots plan, execute, and report on flight test results of the equipment to enable the Program Managers to make informed material decisions.

These ATEC test pilots work alongside flight test engineers embedded in both the FLRAA and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programs. These programs are both supporting important army modernization efforts.

“These flights are an important milestone as the Army builds combined test teams with our industry partners and develops the experience and expertise to test new technologies for Future Vertical Lift,” said Col. Steven R. Braddom, Commander of RTC. “We are focused on ensuring we are ready to meet the challenges of army modernization. Army experimental test pilots with the engineering understanding of these aircraft, as well as significant operational and combat experience, will be a critical part of the Army’s development of the FLRAA and FARA aircraft.”

FLRAA is a program of record for the future aircraft developed in 2019 to replace Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters. FLRAA variants will also serve U.S. Special Operations Command and the United States Marine Corps like the UH-60, developed in the early 1970s, has been in service since June 1979.

The Army awarded Other Transaction Agreement contracts to Bell and Sikorsky for the competitive demonstration and risk reduction phase of the FLRAA aircraft in March 2020. This phase will extend over two years informing the final Army requirements and the program of record planned for competition in fiscal year 2022.

Similar test flights are scheduled with Sikorsky's FLRAA submission, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant, for later this year.

Bell Textron awarded FARA Design Analysis Contract

Bell, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc, won a $13.5 million multi-year production deal to conduct design analysis for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program Sept.8.

The order-dependent contract covers design studies, analyses, simulation, testing, integration and fabrication activities in order to mitigate risks, investigate operational usage and conduct maturation activities at the technology, subsystem and system-level maturation for FARA and its variants, according to the Department of Defense.

Bell 360 Invictus Prototype (Photo Courtesy Bell Textron)

Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 7, 2025.

Bell Textron was awarded the deal by the U.S. Army Contracting Command as part of the FARA competition, what U.S. Army officials have calls its "knife-fighter' of future Army Aviation capabilities" as it will provide maximum performance in a small package.

In mid march, the U.S. Army selected Bell Textron and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, from the initial five FARA design candidates to build and test flying prototypes for the program, which will replace the OH-58 Scout helicopter.

Bell released a video showcasing its prototype rotorcraft, the Bell 360 Invictus, in July.

Bell 360 Invictus

As the competitors move further into the building and testing phase, Bell Textron will be seeking parts to bring its prototype to life. The Bell 360 Invictus will borrow the main rotor system and fly-by-wire flight controls of the Bell 525.

The FARA competition seeks to test and acquire a next-generation attack reconnaissance aircraft to fill that a critical capability gap: the army needs an aircraft capable of operating in a complex airspace and degraded environments against adversaries with an advanced integrated air defense system. 

The Army currently lacks the ability to conduct armed reconnaissance, light attack, and security with improved stand-off and lethal and non-lethal capabilities with a platform sized to hide in radar clutter and for the urban canyons and mega cities, according to the initial FARA solicitation.

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