Bell completes 100th on-time delivery to US Marines

Bell accomplished this milestone through coordination with its manufacturing and assembly facilities, UAW 218, numerous suppliers, and government partners. The H-1 series consists of the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom, which provide light attack and utility helicopter support to the Marines while maintaining a small logistical footprint through the 85-per-cent commonality between the airframes.

“Performance like this takes a lot of work, communication, and trust to ensure alignment between numerous partners, all working toward the same objective. I could not be more proud of our Bell employees.” said Mike Deslatte, Bell H-1 Vice President and Program Director. “Our front-line workers, engineers, and supply chain professionals all help support the Marines. Their work designing, manufacturing, and assembling critical components while ensuring quality parts reach the production line on time help the Marines ensure our nation’s security.”

Providing scheduled maintenance

Bell and its Team Viper/Venom partners collaborate with the US Marine Corps H-1 Light/Attack Helicopter program (PMA-276) to provide integrated solutions and increase combat lethality and readiness. In addition to delivering production aircraft on time, Bell directly supports scheduled maintenance. The company is also working on new capability upgrades to equip the Marines with the most advanced technology available.

“This is a feat only possible through the determination of our production team and the program’s strong relationship with our industry partners and suppliers,” said Col Vasilios Pappas, PMA-276 Program Manager.

Last year, the US Marine Corps have officially retired the Bell AH-1W ‘Super Cobra’ from their ranks after more than 30 years of service.