Northrop Grumman to upgrade mission computers on U.S., Bahrain helicopters

Northrop Grumman was awarded a $104 million contract to supply computers aboard three helicopter models for the Marine Corps, Defense Logistics Agency and Bahrain.

The contract is for the procurement of up to 503 technical refresh mission computers for the UH-1Y Venom, AH-1Z Viper and UH-60V Black Hawk helicopters, including production units, retrofit units and spare units, the Defense Department announced Friday.

Fifty-five percent of the work, which is expected to be completed in December 2023, will be performed in Salt Lake City, 25 percent in Baltimore and 20 percent in Woodland Hills, Calif.

No funds were obligated with the contract award as they will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The work for computers for Bahrain are under the Foreign Military Sales Act.

In February, Bell Helicopter won a $240 million contract to manufacture and deliver 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters to Bahrain.

The Viper and Venom are upgrades to the H-1's AH-1W SuperCobra and UH-1N Twin Huey models.

The two-pilot AH-1Z Viper, which is known as Zulu Cobra, is the only attack helicopter in the world with a fully-integrated air-to-air missile capability. The first copters were delivered to the Marines in 2002.

Bell also manufactures the UH-1Y Venom, which is known as the Super Huey and was first deployed with the Marines in 2009. It can carry two crew members and eight passengers.

The UH-60V Blackhawk is manufactured by Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky Aircraft. More than

4,000 Blackhawk aircraft of all types are in service worldwide today, including 2,135 H-60s in use with the U.S. Army.

The Army has used the Blackhawk since its introduction in 1979 to replace the Bell UH-1 Iroquois. The rotorcraft can lift 11 combat troops or reposition a 105 mm M119 howitzer with 30 rounds ammunition and a four-man crew.

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