Bell Awarded $33.6 Million H-1 Helicopter Upgrade Contract by Naval Air Systems Command
Anna Davis07/26/2026
Contract Award Defense
HigherGov
Naval Air Systems Command announced it has awarded a contract for H-1 Structural and Power Improvements for Next-Generation Effects Phase III to Bell worth $33.6 million over approximately two years. Work will be performed primarily in Fort Worth, Texas, with additional activity at U.S. and overseas locations, and is scheduled for completion in July 2028.
Work to be Completed Under the H-1 Structural and Power Improvements Contract
The contract covers the procurement of Phase III modification kits and associated hardware for the Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter fleet. The award uses a combination of fixed-price incentive (firm-target), firm-fixed-price, and cost-plus-fixed-fee pricing arrangements.
Bell will provide nine A-kits and two D-kits, which are identified as mission kits in the award announcement. The company will also furnish the associated materials, labor, and spare parts required to support the structural and power improvement effort.
The hardware procurement includes long-lead and time-critical components needed for the modifications. Bell will supply 12 rotorcraft station control units, 12 alternating-current generators, 12 generator control units, 12 tube assemblies, and seven combining gearboxes.
The AH-1Z and UH-1Y are the two aircraft in the Marine Corps’ H-1 helicopter fleet. This award supports the service’s continued modification of those platforms by acquiring the kits, power-system equipment, and structural hardware included in the Next-Generation Effects Phase III effort.
Fort Worth will account for 56.7% of the work, followed by Amarillo, Texas, at 7.7%; Tempe, Arizona, at 4.5%; Stilwell, Oklahoma, at 4.3%; and Anaheim, California, at 3.1%. Additional work will take place in Crestview, Florida; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Mansfield, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Dayton, Ohio; other locations within the continental United States; and locations outside the continental United States.
Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The contract was awarded without competition.
Bell’s H-1 Aircraft Work
Bell is based in Fort Worth and produces the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom. The company has also received other federal awards involving the production, modification, and support of H-1 aircraft for the U.S. military and international customers.
Related awards include a contract covering AH-1Z aircraft and flight-training devices for Bahrain, a contract for 12 AH-1Z helicopters and associated support for Nigeria, and a contract for UH-1Y and AH-1Z aircraft, training and support for the Czech Republic. Bell also holds an H-1 performance-based logistics order supporting rotor and drive components.
This award was disclosed by the DoW in its daily press release. Additional contract details will be available on HigherGov once disclosed by the government in approximately 90 days under after the contract is formally disclosed by the government.
