AMARILLO, Texas — Bell Textron has secured an estimated $300 million contract from the U.S. Navy to upgrade as many as 49 Marine Corps H-1 helicopters at its Amarillo Assembly Center, officials said. The work, part of the company’s SPINE modernization effort, will begin in Amarillo in mid-2027 with the first upgraded aircraft expected to be delivered in 2028.
What the work will include
The contract covers structural and electrical improvements to both the UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter and the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter. Bell says the upgrades will increase the aircrafts’ electrical capacity, enabling installation of new weapons, defensive systems, data links and other battlefield technologies.
- Upgrades to 21 UH-1Y Venom helicopters
- Upgrades to 28 AH-1Z Viper helicopters
- Work includes improved aircraft architecture, aircrew safety features and personnel-recovery equipment changes
“Beginning SPINE Phase 3.0 emphasizes the importance of this essential modernization effort and enables the USMC H-1 fleet to remain competitive with current and future capabilities,” Bell program manager Danielle Markham said in a statement.
Local implications
For Amarillo, the award reinforces the Assembly Center’s role in sustaining and modernizing military rotorcraft. Bell previously completed SPINE upgrades on one UH-1Y and one AH-1Z in Amarillo; those aircraft were later sent to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland for flight testing. The new contract expands that work into a larger production phase, keeping skilled technicians and engineers engaged at the local facility.
Bell says the upgraded aircraft will receive a more advanced and scalable onboard architecture, better aircrew safety systems and specific modifications to the UH-1Y’s fast-rope, hoist and litter gear used during personnel recovery missions. The aircraft also will be equipped to support improved defensive measures, digital interoperability such as Link 16 communications, and long-range, network-enabled weapons.
Timeline and scope
According to Bell, the Amarillo work is scheduled to begin in mid-2027. The company expects the first modernized helicopter from this contract to be delivered in 2028. The SPINE program—short for Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects—aims to ready the H-1 fleet for evolving battlefield demands by boosting electrical power and structural capacity.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Contract value (estimated) | $300 million |
| UH-1Y Venom to upgrade | 21 |
| AH-1Z Viper to upgrade | 28 |
| Work start (Amarillo) | Mid-2027 |
| First delivery | 2028 |
The program’s emphasis on electrical and structural modernization reflects a broader trend across military aviation: platforms are being upgraded to host increasingly sophisticated sensors, communications and defensive systems without replacing entire airframes. For Amarillo, that means continued relevance in a national supply chain where aircraft modernization is a steady source of work.
Bell’s statement highlights several specific changes planned for the H-1 fleet. On the UH-1Y, crews will see alterations to the fast-rope, hoist and litter equipment used in recovery missions, while both platforms will get architecture and power upgrades that support Link 16 and other digital interoperability standards.
Officials did not release details about local hiring, facility expansion or subcontractor roles tied to the contract. But the scale of the award — nearly 50 aircraft worth of upgrades over multiple years — suggests a multi-year workload for the Amarillo Assembly Center and its workforce.
As the work moves toward mid-2027, Amarillo will remain one of a handful of sites where Bell has leaned on local technicians and engineers to carry out complex structural and avionics modifications. Residents who watch the Assembly Center know the sound of a helicopter is as much an industrial heartbeat here as a reminder of the city’s role in national defense manufacturing.
