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.