Northrop Grumman has received a $34.39m contract modification to provide additional Link 16 upgrade kits and spares for the US Marine Corps’ UH-1Y and AH-1Z helicopters.
The firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract ceiling was raised through a modification awarded under contract N0001924D0123, according to an announcement by the Department of War (DoW).
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The modification covers the procurement of eight additional UH-1Y Link 16 A Kits, nine AH-1Z Link 16 A Kits, 17 B Kits, as well as related spare parts, with the scope including systems engineering, programme management, and logistics support.
Work will be carried out at several sites across the US, with the largest shares assigned to Chicago in Illinois, Woodland Hills in California and Salt Lake City in Utah.
The contract is managed by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland.
According to the DoW, no funds will be obligated at the time of award and funds will be allocated on a per-order basis as individual orders are issued.
Completion of the expanded contract is scheduled for March 2027.
The UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper, both manufactured by Bell Textron, are key assets for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), providing offensive air support, utility functions, armed escort, and coordination of supporting arms in diverse operational environments and weather conditions.
Both platforms are designed with approximately 85% parts commonality, a feature that the US Navy has indicated helps reduce life-cycle costs and simplify logistical support for the fleet.
In March this year, Bell Textron delivered the first AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters fully modernised under the US Marine Corps’ Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects (SPINE) programme.
