US Marine Corps Receives Final AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopter Delivery of Program of Record (POR) -
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US Marine Corps Receives Final AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopter Delivery of Program of Record (POR)

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The 189th and final AH-1Z Viper aircraft of the U.S. Marine Corps Program of Record (POR) was delivered from Bell to the U.S. Marine Corps here, November 4. Col. Nathan “MOG” Marvel, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 39, flew the Viper from Bell in Amarillo, Texas to the receiving unit, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron (HMLAT) 303, where a short reception acknowledging the historic moment ensued. Bell completed the UH-1Y Venom POR of 160 aircraft in 2018, bringing the combined H-1 POR to 349 aircraft. The U.S. Marine Corps ordered its first lot of H-1s in 1962, and the program has evolved in the six decades following.

“The completion of the H-1 Program of Record delivery is a momentous event for Marine Aviation. By no means is this the end of an era – it is the next chapter in the great legacy of the H-1 and the U.S. Marine Corps. Today’s H-1s are far more ℓєтнαℓ, survivable and sustainable than their predecessors. They bring capability and capacity to the battle space that no other platform can provide. These aircraft build on combat proven tasks such as Offensive Air Support and Assault Support but also have demonstrated the ability to conduct sea control and sea denial operations. They are proven кιℓℓ chain enablers and effecters,” Col. Nathan “MOG” Marvel said.


The AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter featuring a four-blade, bearingless, composite main rotor system with armament including the M197 Gatling gun, 70 millimeter rockets, and air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, including the latest AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The UH-1Y Venom is a twin-engine medium size utility helicopter with armament including 70 millimeter rockets and mounts for a variety of machine guns. The AH-1Z and Bell UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter share a common tailboom, engines, rotor system, drivetrain, avionics architecture, software, controls and displays for over 84% identical components.

In 1996, the USMC launched the H-1 upgrade program by signing a contract with Bell Helicopter for upgrading 180 AH-1Ws into AH-1Zs and upgrading 100 UH-1Ns into UH-1Ys. Since the first delivery of the AH-1Z and UH-1Y to the U.S. Marines, the H-1 mixed fleet has accumulated more than 450,000 flight hours through a full spectrum of military operations. Bell will continue to support the U.S. H-1s with ℓєтнαℓity, survivability, and reliability upgrades through a long-term modernization plan that helps ensure the aircraft keep an overwhelming tactical advantage for generations. The H-1 production line is still active in support of foreign military sales to approved U.S. allies, including the Kingdom of Bahrain and Czech Republic.

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5 Fastest Fighter Jets in the World Ever And Still Active Today

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It is undeniable, that ancient or ancient fighter jets have become technology that has been reaping admiration to this day. For example, the F-15 Eagle and MiG-29 were rivals in their time. This of course cannot be separated from how today’s fighter jets are made.

By paying attention to the details and existing technology, a more modern fighter jet was formed. However, unfortunately not all modern fighter jets can satisfy today’s engineers and experts. In fact, in terms of speed, it is known that most of the ancient fighter jets dominated.

So, which are the fastest fighter jets in the world? According to the Bulgarian Military, here is a list of active and fastest fighter jets in the world!

Grumman F-14 Tomcat (2,485 km/h), USA


It is undeniable that the Tomcat is an older generation. In fact, the film Top Gun: Maverick illustrates how this jet lacks the features of today’s era. In this case, in fact the Tomcat is still used by Iran.

Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation is the manufacturer of that aircraft. Despite its age, it is known that it is a reliable interceptor that can accompany four targets at once while simultaneously capturing up to 6 targets.

Eurofighter Typhoon (2,495 km/h), Germany


Germany put its Armed Forces “Typhoon” representative into production in 2003. Most of the hull is made of a special coating that blocks electromagnetic waves, while the combat radius of the fighter aircraft is 1,390 km. This fighter jet is also owned by Britain and Italy. There are about 500 such fighters in the world.

Su-35 fighter jet (2,500 km/h), Russia


This aircraft is the most formidable fighter of the Russian Air Force, currently in service. This powerful fighter with two modern engines is a modern Su-27 fighter produced in Soviet times.

The Su-35 can climb to a height of 20,000 meters, perform aerobatics, and carry a sizeable payload. All these tactical and technical characteristics, coupled with advanced electronic equipment and weᴀponѕ, turn the Su-35 fighter into a dangerous foe for any foreign fighter.

Su-57 fighter jet (2,600 km/h), Russia


This aircraft is a Russian 4++ generation fighter. This fighter is characterized by the extensive use of stealth and artificial intelligence technologies. The electronics would take over most of the test work, freeing up pilots to carry out combat missions. The maximum speed of the Su-57 is nearly 200 km/h more than the American F-22 Raptor.

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (2 650 km/h), USA

This aircraft is the perfect leader in its class and is distinguished by excellent speed and maneuverability. The tactical all-weather fighter appeared in 1976, with production scheduled for 2025 to arm America. A total of 1,500 of these items are known to exist and all fighters are in the United States.

That’s the world’s fastest active fighter jet. Now, the fighter jet is still adorning the defense technology industry in various countries.

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B-1 Lancer: This Bomber Is The Ultimate Survivor

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The B-1 Lancer, nicknamed the “Bone,” is the United States’s only supersonic bomber. The B-1 compliments the other US bombers – the workhorse B-52 Stratofortress and the stealthy B-2 Spirit. Unlike the B-52 and B-2, however, the B-1 is capable of breaking the sound barrier. That the B-1 can hit Mach 1.2 is especially impressive given that the bomber also can carry a 25-ton payload.

Despite the B-1’s impressive capabilities, the bomber was canceled before entering service, and actually had to be saved from the scrapheap.

B-1: A History

During the Eisenhower administration, the US Air Force began looking for a new bomber – something that could combine the raw speed of the Convair B-58 Hustler with the hefting ability of the B-52. Initially, the North American B-70 Valkyrie – a bomber featuring six engines, which could reach Mach 3 and a 70,000-foot service ceiling – was selected.

Yet, improvements in the Soviet air defense systems, specifically their surface-to-air missiles, rendered the Valkyrie’s high-altitude flight more dangerous – which forced the Valkyrie to conduct bomb runs at lower altitude. That was a problem, however; at low altitudes, the Valkyrie suffered from higher aerodynamic drag – which limited the bomber to subsonic speeds and a short range. In effect, the Valkyrie was redundant – less useful even – than the already serving B-52. Accordingly, the Valkyrie program was canceled.

Multiple programs were formed to develop a bomber capable of supplementing the B-52 – which was poorly matched for low-level bombing runs. The programs, which hoped to find a long-term fix, included the Subsonic Low-Altitude Bomber (SLAB), Advanced Manned Precision Strike System (AMPSS), and the Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft (AMSA) – neither developed much in terms of a tangible product, and were eventually limited when Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara steered the DoD away from bombers development and towards ICBM development.

President Richard Nixon brought AMSA back from the dead in 1969, however. North American Rockwell won the AMSA contract – edging out Boeing and General Dynamics – and began to develop the prototype which would become the B-1.

Development of the B-1 went smoothly enough through the 1970s – but then something unexpected happened. A Soviet pilot defected, bringing with him a heap of intelligence.

In 1976, Viktor Belenko landed his MiG-25 Foxbat in Japan. Belenko was an extremely valuable source of intelligence; among the tidbits he shared: the Soviets were developing a “super-Foxbat” (most likely the MiG-31) with an advanced radar system that would allow for the easy detection of low-flying aircraft (like the B-1). Belenko’s intelligence suggested that the B-1 would be functionally useless the minute it entered service.

Jimmy Carter, who was then campaigning for president, made responsible defense spending a cornerstone of his policy proposals.

Carter bashed the B-1 program in particular throughout his campaign – and when he was elected president, he ordered a study that resulted in the cancellation of the B-1 program.

THE LANCER MAKES A COMEBACK

It was not until President Ronald Reagan won the 1980 election, replacing Carter, that the B-1 program was renewed. Reagan had campaigned on the premise that Carter was a weak leader, weak on defense; Reagan cited the B-1 cancellation as a primary example of Carter’s weakness on defense-related issues.

So, predictably, when Reagan took office, he reinitiated the B-1 program, and in January 1982, the USAF ordered 100 B-1 bombers from Rockwell.

Politics almost prevented the B-1 from entering service – but the supersonic bomber got there, albeit in a roundabout way. The B-1 is still in service today but plans are in place to have the B-1 phased out by 2036.

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AH-1W Super Cobra Is The First Attack Helicopter In The World – Honestly “Terrible”

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Service: USMC Armament: 20 mm M197 Gatling cannon; Hydra 70 rockets; 5 in Zuni rockets; TOW missiles; AGM-114 Hellfire; AIM-9 Sidewinder. Speed: 170 knots  Range: 58 nm Propulsion: 2x GE T700-GE-401 turboshaft engines Crew: 2

Originating from a concept demonstrator delivered to the U.S. Army in 1962 based upon a UH-1 Huey, the AH-1W Super Cobra is the world’s first attack helicopter. Marines have been flying the AH-1W Super Cobra since 1986. The last AH-1W was delivered in 1998.

The AH-1W is being replaced by the AH-1Z, starting in 2006 as part of a remanufacture program. The Last AH-1W is expected to be replaced in 2020. AH-1Ws are fielded in Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons, or HMLAs, along with the UH-1N.

Super Cobra helicopters form the backbone of the Marine Corps’ air-ground task force and act as on-call close air support platforms for Marines under fire. Cobras are also used for ground attack coordination, with pilots trained to call in artillery or mortars on positions while orbiting above the battlefield.

The Super Cobra was the first attack helicopter to qualify both the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and the Sidearm anti-radiation missile. Both missiles can use the same LAU-7 rail launcher. Sidearm has a range of more than 15km. AIM-9L Sidewinder is an all-aspect, short-range, air-to-air missile produced by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The missile has a range of 15km.

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