American aerospace firm Bell Textron has been awarded a $228-million contract to provide hardware and software updates for the US Navy’s H-1 light attack helicopters.
The firm will provide the aircraft with new and modified capabilities through system configuration sets under the agreement.
According to the US Department of Defense (DoD), Bell Textron will modernize the fleet’s airframe, aircraft wiring interface terminals, flight controls, and weapon systems interfaces.
It will also work on research alternatives, investigation, and documentation of new capabilities and anomalies related to flight controls, wiring harnesses, and weapons.
“Additionally, this contract provides for identification of maintenance activities required to support the systems; research, development, and support of studies and analysis related to configuration items, new subsystems, weapons integration, engineering, and logistics,” the DoD stated in a press release.
The upgrades will cover system modernization and fleet support to foreign military sales clients.
Work for the contract will be performed in Texas and various locations in the continental US, with expected completion in 2027.