US Marine Corps launches $300M SPINE upgrade for Viper and Venom helicopters

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Bell Textron a contract to modernize up to 49 Marine Corps helicopters under the SPINE (Structural and Power Improvements for Next‑Gen Effects) program. The award includes an initial $33.64 million tranche for nine aircraft kits and is part of a larger $300 million effort to upgrade 21 UH‑1Y Venom utility helicopters and 28 AH‑1Z Viper attack helicopters.

The upgrades add structural, electrical and digital capacity, expanding electric power, installing a new electronic architecture, improved self‑protection systems, Link 16 datalink and the ability to integrate future weapons. The first SPINE upgrades were completed in late 2025 on one UH‑1Y and one AH‑1Z. Production will take place at Bell’s Amarillo, Texas facility, with deliveries expected from 2028. The modernization is intended to shift the Viper from close‑support roles to a networked, long‑range strike platform for distributed operations across the Indo‑Pacific.