Defense Industry Daily
Snakes and Rotors: The USMC's H-1 Helicopter Program
06-Jan-2008 15:26 | Permanent Link
The US Marines' helicopter force is aging on all levels, from CH-46 Sea
Knights far older than their pilots to the 1980s era UH-1N Hueys and AH-1W
Cobra attack helicopters that make up the Corps' helicopter assault force.
While the V-22 program has staggered along for almost 2 decades under
accidents, technical delays, and cost issues, replacement of the USMC's
backbone helicopter assets has languished. Given the high-demand scenarios
inherent in the current war, other efforts are clearly required.
Enter the H-1 program, the USMC's plan to remanufacture 100 of the Marines'
old UH-1N Hueys and 180 of its AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters into
advanced variants that discard the signature 2-bladed rotors for modern
4-bladed improvements, redo the aircraft's electronics, and add improved
engines and weapons to offer a new level of performance. At least, that was
the idea. It hasn't quite worked out that way, and the H-1 program has
encountered its own share of delays and issues. Nevertheless, the program
survived a recent review and continues on into the low-rate initial
production stage.
This is DID's FOCUS Article regarding the H-1 program; it will be updated
and backfilled as events and opportunity dictate. Recent developments
include an advance purchase order for FY 2008 production.
The H-1 Program
AIR_AH-1W.jpg
AH-1W, hard left
(click to view full)
It seemed fairly straightforward: update a pair of old USMC standbys,
creating a transport (UH-1Y Venom) and attack helicopter (AH-1Z Viper)
backbone with maximum commonality. It hasn't worked out that way.
The H-1 program is designed to resolve existing safety issues in both
aircraft, reduce life-cycle costs, significantly enhance combat capability,
and achieve 85% commonality between aircraft. The goal is airframes that
will last through 10,000 flight hours of service life. Major modifications
include a new 4-blade rotor system with semi-automatic blade fold, new
composite main and four-bladed tail rotor, upgraded drive system and landing
gear, and pylon structural modifications. These aircraft will have increased
maneuverability, speed and range, and payload capability. Both aircraft will
incorporate a newly designed, fully integrated, common cockpit that will
reduce pilot workload and improve situational awareness.
Weapon fit-outs will also be improved, most visibly via AIM-9 Sidewinder
air-air missiles on the AH-1Z.
The H-1 program has required substantial changes to both cost and schedule 4
times now, while addressing numerous technical issues. The original plan was
to remanufacture the helicopters: 180 AH-1W Super Cobras to AH-1Z Vipers,
and 100 UH-1N Hueys to UH-1Y Venoms. To avoid taking each Huey out of
service for 2 years in the face of ongoing demand, however, all but the
first few UH-1Ys will now have new-build airframes. Other program changes
along these lines include putting new UH-1Y nose sections into production
earlier, and establishing a rotating pool of government-furnished equipment
so that a UH-1N does not have to be taken out of service until a UH-1Y Venom
is delivered.
AIR UH-1H Vietnam
UH-1H, Vietnam
(click to view full)
In May 2005, the Navy warned Bell that the H-1 program was in serious
jeopardy because the Texas-based company has been failing to meet its needs,
and reserved the option of killing the program. The memo demanded
"fundamental changes" in Bell Helicopter's management processes as well as
its production processes. Recertification in Earned Value Management, used
to track program performance, was high on the list of "to-dos."
Ultimately, changes were made - including some executive changes at the
highest levels of Bell Helicopter Textron - and a May 31/06 Defense
Acquisition Board process made the decision to proceed with the program. The
UH-1Y's Initial operational capability (IOC) is planned for September 2008,
but IOC for the remanufactured AH-1Z has been pushed back to FY 2011.
H-1 program spending
* FY 2005: $ 381.3 million - $168.2M RDT&E, $213.1M Production (7: 3
UH-1Y, 4 AH-1Z)
* FY 2006: $ 372.9 million - $58.9M RDT&E, $314.0M Production (7 UH-1Y)
* FY 2007: $ 451.6 million - $7.8M RDT&E, $451.6M Production (11: 9
UH-1Y, 2 AH-1Z, incl. $68.6M supplementals)
* FY 2008 Request: $522.1 million - $3.6M RDT&E, $518.5M Production (20)
Contracts and Key Events
AIR H-1s UH-1Y and AH-1Z Runway
UH-1Y & AH-1Z
(click to view full)
Unless otherwise noted, all contracts are issued by the Naval Air Systems
Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, MD to Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. in
Fort Worth, TX.
Jan 3/08: A $60 million not-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0086) for long-lead, time-critical
parts in support of the Fiscal Year 2008 Lot V procurement of 11 UH-1Y Venom
utility and 4 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters.
Work will be performed in Hurst, Texas (80%) and Amarillo, Texas (20%), and
is expected to be complete in July 2010.
Oct 1/07: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. in Hurst, TX received awarded a
$16.7 million fixed-price-incentive fee modification to a previously awarded
firm fixed price contract (N00019-06-C-0086) for an AH-1Z Full Flight
Simulator (FFS) . Work will be performed in Broken Arrow, OK (75%) and
Hurst, TX (25%) and is expected to be complete in January 2010. The Naval
Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, FL issued the
contract.
Sept 26/07: Bell Helicopter Textron in Hurst, TX received $5.6 million for
ceiling priced order #GB4A under a previously awarded contract
(W58RGZ-06-G-0003) for spare components for the H-1 aircraft. Work will be
performed in Hurst, Texas is expected to be complete December 2009. One
company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement by the Naval
Inventory Control Point in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sept 21/07: A $32.1 million modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0086) for procurement of initial
spares in support of the fiscal year 2007 Lot IV aircraft - 9 UH-1Y and 2
AH-1Z aircraft (see July 27/07). Work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX
and is expected to be complete in April 2010.
July 27/07: A $162.3 million modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive fee contract (N00019-06-C-0086),
exercising an option for the FY 2007 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot
IV procurement of 9 "Venom" UH-1Ys and 2 "Viper" AH-1Z aircraft. Work will
be performed in Hurst, TX (80%) and Amarillo, TX (20%), and is expected to
be complete in October 2009.
July 6/07: A $12.5 million modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0086) for the procurement of phases
II and III of the Composite Maintenance Trainers (CMTs) effort, to include 2
UH-1Y trainers and 2 AH-1Z trainers. The CMTs will be based at Camp
Pendleton, CA, and will be used to train personnel on the repair and
maintenance of the H-1 Upgrades Aircraft. Work will be performed in Hurst,
TX and is expected to be complete in August 2012.
Jan 30/07: An $11.7 million modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0086), exercising an option for
systems engineering and program management support for the UH-1Y and AH-1Z
aircraft for Calendar Year 2007. Work will be performed in Hurst, TX (80%)
and Amarillo, TX (20%), and is expected to be complete in December 2007.
AIR_UH-1Y_Ropedown.jpg
UH-1Y ropedown
(click to view full)
Aug 11/06: A $31.7 million ceiling priced modification to a previously
awarded firm-fixed-price contract for the FY 2006 lot III procurement of
initial spare parts in support of the UH-1Y aircraft. Work will be performed
in Hurst, TX and is expected to be completed in December 2008
(N00019-06-C-0086).
July 20/06: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. in Fort Worth, TX received a
$137.4 million firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive fee contract for the
fiscal year 2006 low rate initial production (LRIP) lot III procurement of 7
UH-1Y aircraft, 1 UH-1Y full flight simulator, and 4 composite maintenance
trainers (Phase I) under the H-1 upgrade program. Work will be performed in
Hurst, TX (80%), and Amarillo, TX (20%), and is expected to be complete in
September 2008. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval
Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-06-C-0086).
Jan 31/06: A $7.1 million modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0001), exercising an option for the
logistics support, initial spares, build-to-print package, initial
operational test and evaluation period, and helmet support for FY 2006
Flight Test Devices for the AH-1Z and UH-1Y Program. Work will be performed
in Camp Pendleton, CA (76%); Tulsa, OK (13%); and Fort Worth, TX (11%), and
is expected to be complete in January 2007.
AIR UH-1Y AH-1Z on LHD-5 Sunset
H-1s on LHD 5
(click to view full)
June 3/05: A $17.6 million not-to-exceed modification to a previously
awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0001) for initial spare parts
in support of FY 2005 Lot II UH-1Y and AH-1Z aircraft. Work will be
performed in Amarillo, TX and is expected to be complete in September 2007.
May 26/05: An estimated $7.7 million modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0001) for the procurement of the
non-recurring effort required to replace the remanufactured UH-1N or HH-1N
structural parts with new structural parts used to manufacture a UH-1Y
helicopter. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX, and is expected to be
complete in December 2006.
April 3/05: A $104.2 million modification to a previously awarded
firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0001) for the H-1 upgrade program.
The funds exercise an option for FY 2005 low rate initial production lot II
procurement of 3 AH-1Z and 4 UH-1Y aircraft. Work on this particular
contract will be performed in Amarillo, TX and is expected to be complete in
December 2007.
Feb 23/05: A $165.4 million cost-plus-award-fee contract for the development
of Integrated Avionics Suite (IAS) software upgrades in support of the H-1
helicopter upgrade program. In addition, this contract provides for
incorporation of the software upgrades into existing AH-1W Cobra attack
helicopters and UH-1N transport helicopters, to convert them to AH-1Zs and
UH-1Ys, respectively. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, CA (70%);
Hurst, TX (25%), and China Lake, CA (5%), and is expected to be completed in
February 2010.
Dec 8/04: A $23.6 million modification to a previously awarded firm fixed
price contract (N00019-04-C-0001) for the FY 2005 procurement of acquisition
logistics support for Lot I and II Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) AH-1Z
and UH-1Y aircraft. Work will be performed in Hurst, TX and is expected to
be completed in October 2007.
Additional Readings & Sources
* Bell Helicopter Textron - AH-1Z Viper
* Bell Helicopter Textron - UH-1Y Venom
* Air International (Aug 8/06) - Bell gets H-1 programme on track
* Inside Defense via Military.com (May 31/06) - Marines' H-1 Helicopter
Woes Aired.
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