Bombers
Bombers
NAVAIR PATUXENT RIVER, MD --- The H-1 Upgrades Program, which is replacing aging Marine Corps UH-1N and AH-1W aircraft with upgraded and 84-percent identical UH-1Y and AH-1Z aircraft, completed developmental testing Feb. 17.
Currently, the program is preparing to enter Operational Evaluation as well as to start a third Low-Rate Initial Production lot.
Two of the five developmental test aircraft have already been transferred to the operational test squadron and are being used to train the Marines who will conduct the operational evaluation. Two aircraft are in final preparation to be transferred to the operational test squadron.
The first H-1 to fly in the upgraded configuration, AH-1Z-1, is currently preparing for live-fire testing at the Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, California.
Bell Helicopter, the manufacturer of the aircraft, has 16 aircraft on two firm fixed price Low-Rate Initial production contracts worth $185.6 million and $111.4 million respectively. Seven aircraft are already in assembly in Amarillo, Texas.
Since the first AH-1Z made its maiden flight Dec. 7, 2000, the five aircraft assigned to the H-1 Upgrades program here, tallied a total of 3,324 flight test hours and 3,048 test sorties in the development test and qualification of the AH-1Z and UH-1Y. The aircraft also have fired more than 2,000 2.75-inch rockets, 13,662 rounds of machine gun and automatic cannon ammunition, 11 Hellfire anti-armor missiles and three AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
To date, the H-1 Operational Test Team has put a total of 156.6 flight hours on the aircraft in 92 sorties.
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