Bell has completed structural, electrical, and digital overhauls on the first two U.S. Marine Corps H-1 helicopters under the SPINE program, sending them to Maryland for flight tests that will shape the final configuration of the upgrade.
Bell has finished upgrading the first pair of H-1 helicopters under the U.S. Marine Corps’ SPINE program, a modification effort intended to boost the lethality and survivability of the service’s attack and utility helicopters and equip them for new weapons and future capabilities.
The two aircraft — an AH-1Z attack helicopter and a UH-1Y utility helicopter — underwent power and structural work at Bell’s Amarillo, Texas, factory before being transferred to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland for continued flight testing, the company said. Those tests will help set the final SPINE configuration.
Bell’s work on both aircraft spanned more than 19 months, focusing on structural strength, electrical capacity, and digital capabilities.
The program, formally named Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects, was previously known as the Structural Improvement Electrical Power Upgrade, or SIEPU.
“To have these first two aircraft completed under the SPINE programme is a huge moment for us,” said Scott Sims, Bell’s H-1 program director.
Sims also addressed the aircraft’s operational readiness.
“At Bell, crew safety and aircraft effectiveness remain the number one priority on everything we do,” he said. “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.”
SPINE is intended to prepare the H-1 fleet for new weapons and additional future capabilities, though neither Bell nor the Marine Corps specified which systems are being targeted for integration.
Key Takeaways
- Bell completed the first two SPINE-program upgrades on USMC H-1 helicopters — an AH-1Z attack variant and a UH-1Y utility variant — at its Amarillo, Texas, factory.
- The two aircraft have been transferred to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, for flight testing that will finalize the SPINE configuration.
- The 19-month overhaul focused on structural strength, electrical capacity, and digital capabilities.
- SPINE — formerly known as SIEPU — is designed to equip the H-1 fleet to carry new weapons and support future combat missions.
