Testing complete on H-1 choppers.

Bell Helicopter has completed developmental testing on the H-1 Upgrades Program, a move that clears the way for both operational evaluation and a third low-rate initial production run to begin. Two of the programme's five developmental test aircraft were recently transferred to the operational test squadron and are being used to train the US Marines who will conduct the evaluations. The H-1 programme is geared to replacing ageing Marine Corps UH-1N and AH-1 W rotorcraft with upgraded--but 84% identical--UH-1Y and AH-1Z (shown) aircraft, the UH-1Ys will be complete new builds, rather than simply remanufactured UH-1N birds. Bell currently has 16 helicopters on two firm, fixed-price low-rate initial production contracts worth $ 185.6 million and $111.4 million respectively.