Release from Program Executive Office Land Systems 

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July 26, 2023 

By PEO Land Systems  

Camden, Arkansas — The Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Ground Based Air Defense Program Manager recently visited Camden, Arkansas, to discuss the possibility of producing the Iron Dome Tamir missile and future Americanized version known as Sky Hunter for the Medium Range Intercept Capability program. The discussions, held July 19, included representation from Raytheon, Rafael and Raytheon Rafael Systems better known as R2S. During the discussions, R2S detailed the concept of the production facility and provided a tour of the potential site.  

 “This will be a great thing for the Medium Range Intercept Capability program and for the USMC, if this occurs,” said PM GBAD Don Kelley. The production of the Tamir/Sky Hunter within the United States not only will provide American built Sky Hunters, but a possible second source of Tamir missiles for the Israeli Missile Defense Organization.  

Since 2018, the Marine Corps GBAD Program Office has been developing MRIC to counter cruise missile threats. The system includes the Common Aviation Command-and-Control System and a mini–Battle Management Control system for the Tamir missile, along with the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar. 

MRIC completed a series of successful live-fire tests in September 2022. The Milestone Decision Authority met in December 2022 and provided authorization to conduct the certification process, with the first platoon made ready to deploy in fiscal year 2025. 

A follow on decision by the Marine Corps would potentially procure up to three batteries between fiscal 2025 – 2027.  

Release from Leidos 

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Companies pledge collaboration aimed at expediting the development of advanced cloud technology.  

(RESTON, Va.) July 31, 2023 – Leidos (NYSE:LDOS), a FORTUNE® 500 science and technology leader, today announced it has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with Microsoft aimed at leveraging each company’s unique strengths in the market to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) transformation for new and existing customers in the public sector. A near-term priority for co-development is in the area of generative AI solutions to support organizational efficiency, enhanced productivity and cross domain applications. 

“Leidos is continuously exploring opportunities to accelerate solving our customers’ hardest problems,” said Steve Hull, Executive Vice President, Enterprise and Cyber Solutions Operation, Leidos. “This agreement will help enable co-innovation utilizing the latest cloud and AI technologies.”    

Leidos recently completed a successful migration of 20 critical support applications from an on-premise data center to Microsoft’s Azure Government cloud environment in support of the U.S. Navy. This migration was part of Leidos’ ongoing support of the Department of the Navy’s Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) Service Management, Integration, and Transport (SMIT) program, enabling the Navy to monitor, maintain, and secure the Navy and Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) with increased efficiency and collaboration without compromising security.   

“Our collaboration with Leidos will help accelerate adoption of cloud-driven solutions to improve our customers’ operations,” said Angela Heise, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft. “Leidos’ expertise in national security operations coupled with Microsoft’s advanced cloud, cyber, and AI technologies will enable our two organizations to develop innovative solutions to address a wide range of complex challenges faced by public sector organizations around the world.” 

Leidos and Microsoft are committed to building a partner ecosystem that can identify customer challenges and work together responsibly and efficiently to solve them.   

Release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency 

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Romania Seeks Former Marine Corps Assault Amphibious Vehicles 

By Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor 

ARLINGTON, Va. —The U.S. State Department has approved a possible sale of AAV7 assault amphibious vehicles to the Government of Romania, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a July 2 release. 

Romania has requested the sale of 21 AAV-7s, including 16 AAVP-A1 personnel carrier versions, three AAVC-7A1 command vehicles, and two AAVR-7A1 recovery versions. The sale also would include armament, thermal sights, spare parts, manuals, data package, engineering support, ad other support. The total cost of the sale would be an estimated $120.5 million.  

The AAV-7 family of vehicles, built by BAE Systems, is being replaced in the U.S. Marine Corps by the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) family, also built by BAE Systems. The AAV-7 entered Marine Corps service in 1972. 

A contract to deliver the vehicles and support to Romania in the event the sale is finalized has not yet been identified. 

Romania, a member of NATO that borders the Black Sea, has increasingly joined in military ties and exercises with the United States.  

Release from the Maritime Administration 

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Tuesday, July 25, 2023 

Creation of the program meets an urgent DOD need and grows the U.S.-flagged fleet 

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced that nine ships have been enrolled in the Tanker Security Program (TSP). TSP establishes a fleet of active, commercially viable, militarily useful, privately owned product tank vessels of the United States that will meet national defense and other security requirements and maintain a United States presence in international commercial shipping.   
  
The TSP will strengthen the U.S. supply chain and improve the movement of liquid fuel products while creating good-paying jobs. The TSP will also support American-owned, American-flagged, and American-crewed commercial product tankers operating in international commercial shipping. The program will ensure the Department of Defense (DoD) has assured access to critically needed product tankers capable of loading, transporting, and storing on-station bulk petroleum refined products to support national economic security. 
  
“Today we are announcing the first ships to join the Tanker Security Program, which will help strengthen both our supply chains and our national security by delivering fuel to our armed forces around the world while creating hundreds of good jobs for American mariners,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.  
  
“The TSP accomplishes two key maritime sealift objectives: it grows our U.S.-flagged fleet and it significantly expands our ability to deliver vital fuel supplies to support military missions across the globe,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips. “Implementation of the TSP is a significant milestone for MARAD and the U.S. maritime industry.” 
  
The companies selected for enrollment are Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (three tank vessels); Crowley-Stena Marine Solutions, LLC. (three tank vessels); and Seabulk Tankers, Inc. (three tank vessels). 
  
All of the companies have signed operating agreements. Of the enrolled vessels, four are under U.S. flag and are now operating in the program, and five are working with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard to expedite reflagging to U.S. registry to begin operating under TSP agreements. Each tank vessel enrolled will receive a maximum $6 million per year payment, prorated on a monthly basis for qualified service as participants in the program. The vessels will operate in U.S. foreign commerce and be available for use by the United States during times of war or national emergency.    

MARAD published a solicitation in the Federal Register on July 25, 2023, seeking applications for enrollment in TSP from qualified companies. The program is authorized for up to ten tankers and MARAD seeks to fill the remaining operating agreement with a qualified vessel. MARAD published notices in the Federal Register seeking applications for enrollment from qualified participants. To qualify for the program, proposed vessels have to qualify as Medium Range product tankers between 30,000-60,000 deadweight tons with fuel carrying capacity of 230,000 barrels or more, be less than 10 years of age, and available to commit to an emergency preparedness agreement for the duration of the program’s authorization. All vessel operators selected for the TSP are required to be enrolled in MARAD’s sexual assault and sexual harassment prevention and response policy program Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture (EMBARC).  

Release from GE Marine 

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July 25, 2023, Evendale, OH – GE Marine signed an agreement with TAIS OG-STM İş Ortaklığı in Istanbul, Türkiye, to provide the LM2500 marine gas turbine engine in a new lightweight composite enclosure for the İstif-Class frigates, numbers 6, 7, and 8 in the Turkish MILGEM Project. The lightweight enclosure debuted on the U.S. Navy’s USS Santa Barbara in April. Türkiye’s Navy converted from the steel engine enclosure for the redesigned frigates to benefit from the many features of the one-piece composite enclosure. 

Between the Barbaros, Gabya, and İstif class frigates and the ADA class Corvettes, 31 LM2500 marine gas turbine engines currently power 18 Turkish ships. Under this project, the private shipyards of Türkiye will build a frigate class surface combatant for the first time. The ships will be built at Anadolu, Sedef, and Sefine shipyards in 36 months. GE will support this expedited timeline. The new I-Class Frigate will be 10 meters longer than previous models to account for the increased capabilities in weapons systems. One LM2500 will provide 22 MW of power to propel each new MILGEM frigate. 

This engine selection builds on the April 2023 announcement of GE Marine’s newest collaboration in Türkiye with TEI (TUSAS Engine Industries, Inc.) as an in-country service provider for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of GE’s LM2500 marine gas turbines. “We want GE Marine’s strong relationships in Türkiye, along with the new engine selection on the I-Class MILGEM, to demonstrate our commitment to supporting Türkiye’s naval programs, including domestic sustainment of naval capabilities,” said Mark Musheno, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GE Marine. 

GE’s new state-of-the-art composite gas turbine enclosure replaces its steel predecessor.  It provides a safer engine room environment, improved access for sailors, and a significant weight reduction for ship designers. Other benefits include: 

Reduced engine room noise: 60% (4dBA) less noise than steel enclosure 

Cooler engine room temperatures: Enclosure wall temperatures are 25oF to 50oF degrees cooler, approximately 50% less heat is rejected into the engine room.  

Superior operational and life cycle benefits: The composite walls are constructed from a single corrosion-resistant piece.  

Significant weight reduction: The walls and roof assembly are 2,500 kg (5,500 lbs) lighter, which is a 50% weight reduction, allowing ship designers more flexibility for increased payload, fuel, or systems. 

Better access to the engine: Improved crew access to inlet plenum and a lightweight main door for easy handling. 

Ease of engine removal/reinstallation: The gas turbines can be removed and reinstalled through the intake path. 

The LM2500 is renowned for its reliability onboard 638 naval ships and is the gas turbine of choice for 40 navies worldwide due to its superior performance on diverse military applications, from patrol boats, corvettes, and frigates to destroyers and aircraft carriers. As the new lightweight composite enclosure debut demonstrates, GE Marine offers a wide range of products backed by continual infusion of new technologies to meet ever-changing customer needs. 

Release from the U.S. Department of Defense 

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Marine Infantry Packs a Logistics Punch on Australian Beach 

July 27, 2023 | By David Vergun , DOD News  

Several hundred U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit landed yesterday on the beach at Midge Point in Queensland, Australia. 

With them were trucks, spare parts, mechanics, fuel, communications gear and everything else needed to support the infantry in a fight as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 — the U.S.-Australia exercise that included a dozen other partner nations. 

During the first decades of the 21st century, Marines and other forces in Iraq and Afghanistan relied on massive logistics sites, known as “iron mountains,” for beans, bullets, bandages and everything else needed to conduct operations, said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Verdin, commander of Combat Logistics Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, based at Camp Pendleton, California. 

Not anymore, he said. 

When Marines came ashore in Navy landing craft air cushions, or LCACs as they are better known, they took with them all the supplies and other materiel needed to push inland against entrenched enemy forces in the exercise scenario, he said. 

It’s getting back to the roots of what the Marine Corps does best, he said: sustaining themselves in austere, contested environments and moving quickly to secure objectives without waiting for the logistics tail to catch up to the fighters. 

Exercises like Talisman Sabre bolster rapid crisis response capability that has been a Marine Corps hallmark for centuries, he said. 

This year marks the 10th iteration of Talisman Sabre, a biennial exercise designed to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening partnerships and interoperability among key allies. The spelling of the name — sabre vs. saber — reflects which country is leading the exercise: Talisman Sabre when Australia leads and Talisman Saber when the U.S. leads. 

Marines who landed yesterday had sailed from Okinawa, Japan, aboard the amphibious transport dock ships USS Green Bay and USS New Orleans. Accompanying those vessels was the amphibious assault carrier USS America, the lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group. 

Landing with the Marines were detachments from the Japan Ground Self Defense Force’s Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade and a German naval infantry from the Bundeswehr Sea Battalion. 

Later in the day, Marines from the USS America landed further inland from Midge Point, arriving aboard V-22 Osprey aircraft. Those aircraft can land vertically like helicopters, but they fly much faster. Others landed in CH-53 helicopters. Upon landing, they all encountered an opposition force made up of Marines dressed in desert camouflage uniforms to identify them as “enemy.” 

The V-22s were protected overhead by Cobra attack helicopters. 

The America Amphibious Ready Group made a port visit last month to Brisbane, Australia, just to the south of where the landings took place. 

The United Kingdom is also participating in Talisman Sabre. The U.S., U.K. and Australia comprise what’s known as AUKUS, which is a trilateral security pact formed in 2021. 

“All of this is yet another reminder that our unbreakable alliance is capable of great things. It has, indeed, endured for generations, and it remains vital to regional peace and security,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said of AUKUS earlier this year during a visit by Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who also serves as his country’s defense minister. 

At that meeting, Austin said: “We also pledged to find new ways to work closely with Japan as we pursue a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, as a region where all countries can chart their own course and all states respect international rules and norms and where all disputes are resolved peacefully.” 

Austin met with British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace just weeks earlier. 

Release from the 1st Marine Division 

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CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES 

07.24.2023 

Story by  Capt. Joseph DiPietro, 1st Marine Division  

In a historic event at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, the 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division activated the Marine Corps’ first long-range missile battery during a ceremony July 21. 
 
The new battery, which falls directly under 11th Marines, is designed to enhance the division’s and the joint force’s long-range strike and eventually sea denial capability and lethality. 
 
“It is truly a privilege and honor to stand with these Marines as we move forward with the long-range fires capability,” said Capt. Justin Hillebrand, who became the battery’s first commander during the ceremony. “These Marines have done phenomenal things. They took an idea and are making it work. The job just started, but this capability will be able to reach out and provide devastating and lethal fires.” 
 
The battery will train with long-range fires launchers, designed to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles, and various supporting assets to further refine the structure and requirements necessary for successful employment of the system. The battery’s Marines, along with 11th Marines’ leadership, will continue to refine tactics, techniques, and procedures to employ the long-range fires system in support of 1st MARDIV and I Marine Expeditionary Force initiatives. 
 
“This is a historic chapter in the Marine Corps and the 11th Marine Regiment. The American people expect the Marine Corps to prepare for war,” added Col. Patrick Eldridge, the commanding officer for 11th Marines. “There are nefarious states and actors in our world today who are credible threats to their neighbors, to our allies, and to the United States. The requirement for this capability now exists and the SecDef turned to the Marine Corps, the Marine Corps turned to 11th Marines, and we turn to Alpha Battery and our test and evaluation partners to make this capability a reality.” 
 
The long-range fires platform is an emerging capability for the Marine Corps and is growing as part of the broader ground-based anti-ship missile development for the service. 
 
Col. Eldridge concluded his activation ceremony remarks on a lighter note adding, “I imagine someone pretty high up said, ‘We’ve seen what Marines can do with rifles, let’s see what Marines can do with Tomahawks.’” 
 
In addition to the long-range missile battery activation, Marines with 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st MARDIV executed the first live-fire Naval Strike Missile test conducted by Marines of the Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System last month to demonstrate the firepower of another emerging capability. In conjunction with Marine Corps Systems Command, the NMESIS successfully launched and engaged a simulated target off the coast of Southern California. 
 
“NMESIS is the Marine Corps’ material solution for the ground based anti-ship missile capability through the Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires platform,” explained Staff Sgt. Derek Reddy, the NMESIS team leader for 11th Marines, during the flight test. “The guided flight test is absolutely imperative. It is so important that the Marines are actually conducting the exercise now to show off the system and its capabilities to the Marine Corps.” 
 
The long-range fires platform, NMESIS, and other fire support assets are only part of 1st MARDIV’s commitment to sea denial. Maritime reconnaissance, port and airfield seizure, and a continued emphasis on small unit leadership and tactics all drive the division toward capabilities and experience necessary to compete on the modern battlefield. Despite the advances in technology, formations, and tactics, 1st MARDIV Marines and Sailors relentlessly train fire and maneuver skills and will continue to build on the basics of the combined arms dilemma. 

Release from General Atomics

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SAN DIEGO – 24 July 2023 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) congratulates the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) on achieving a significant milestone of surpassing 20,000 flight hours with their Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) Medium-Altitude, High-Endurance (MALE) MQ-9A Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).

To date, GA-ASI has delivered eight MQ-9A UAS to the USMC. Two of these MQ-9A aircraft are actively engaged in operational missions, playing a vital role in supporting mission-critical Marine Corps objectives. The USMC awaits delivery of 12 additional aircraft, which will fulfill their goal of three squadrons by 2025.

“This strategic acquisition of MQ-9As underscores the USMC’s commitment to strengthening their aerial surveillance capabilities and demonstrates their confidence in GA-ASI’s expertise in delivering top-tier UAS,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.

Renowned for its fault-tolerant flight control system and triple-redundant avionics system architecture, the MQ-9A UAS embodies the industry’s highest standards of reliability and performance, surpassing those of many manned aircraft.

The USMC fleet will ultimately be entirely composed of the MQ-9A Extended Range (ER) configuration, enhanced with wing-borne fuel pods and reinforced landing gear. This model has been specifically designed to extend its endurance to more than 30 hours, enabling persistent long-endurance surveillance capabilities. Equipped with Full-Motion Video and both a Synthetic Aperture Radar and a Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Mode Radar, this advanced system provides the USMC with a comprehensive real-time situational awareness picture.

The USMC’s 20,000 flight hours with MQ-9A represent an impressive accomplishment in the field of unmanned aviation. GA-ASI is honored to have played a role in this achievement and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the USMC to further advance the capabilities of unmanned systems and support their growing UAS squadrons.

Statement from the V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) 

On June 8, 2022, five U.S. Marines from the “Purple Foxes” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364 (VMM-364) lost their lives during an aviation mishap onboard an MV-22 Osprey. The investigation into the mishap’s cause is complete, and Marine Corps leaders have shared the results with the families. 

The investigation revealed no error on the part of the pilots and aircrew, and confirmed no maintenance errors led to the mishap. It was determined the pilots and aircrew were conducting routine flight operations in accordance with applicable regulations when a catastrophic, unpreventable and unanticipated mechanical failure occurred. 

The investigation revealed the cause of the mishap was a dual hard clutch engagement (HCE) which created a Single Engine and Interconnect Drive System (Single Engine/ICDS) failure; the failure resulted in a catastrophic loss of thrust on the right-hand (RH) proprotor. The degraded drivetrain caused by the dual HCE event and subsequent Single Engine/ICDS failure created an unrecoverable departure from controlled flight, resulting in the tragic crash that occurred on June 8, 2022.

The V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) continues to take decisive actions to address the HCE mechanical challenge. Since 2010, there have been numerous actions associated with defining, mitigating or eliminating HCEs. The results of this investigation have further driven efforts to mitigate the HCE phenomenon, identify root cause and prevent it from occurring. 

“Our latest research and mitigation efforts produced several new findings that significantly increased our understanding of the HCE phenomenon,” said Col. Brian Taylor, PMA-275 program manager. “While definitive root cause for all HCE events has not yet been identified, we are using this new information to implement solutions designed to reduce the likelihood of an HCE event and increase aircrew safety.”

Through a combination of efforts, including the recent input quill assembly replacement bulletin in February 2023, the risk of a HCE event occurring was reduced by greater than 99 percent. The V-22 community executed 22,258 flight hours between February 3, 2023 and July 19, 2023, with zero HCE events. 

“The completion of this investigation does not close the HCE effort within PMA-275,” Taylor added. “The implemented IQA life limit, which reduced overall V-22 HCE risk by greater than 99 percent, was not a result of this investigation but is certainly reinforced by its findings.” 

“The loss of these five Marines is tragic and, while there will always be inherent risk in military aviation, we are working tirelessly to identify and mitigate risk across the V-22 platform; we are committed to the safety of the Marines, Airmen, Sailors, and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force, that fly this platform every day,” he said.

HQMC Statement:

The investigation into the cause of the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing MV-22B Osprey mishap in Glamis, California, on June 8, 2022, is complete. We have provided the results of the investigation to the families of our fallen Marines and provided all available resources to them during this difficult time.

The loss of Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, Capt. John J. Sax, Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland continues to be felt across the Marine Corps.

The investigation revealed the cause of the mishap was a dual hard clutch engagement (HCE) which created a Single Engine and Interconnect Drive System (Single Engine/ICDS) failure; the failure resulted in a catastrophic loss of thrust on the right-hand (RH) proprotor. The degraded drivetrain caused by the dual HCE event and subsequent Single Engine/ICDS failure created an unrecoverable departure from controlled flight, resulting in the tragic crash that occurred on June 8, 2022.

It is clear from the investigation that there was no error on the part of the pilots and aircrew and nothing they could have done to anticipate or prevent this mishap. They were conducting routine flight operations in accordance with applicable regulations when this catastrophic and unanticipated mechanical failure occurred. The investigation also found there was no maintenance error on the part of the team whose job it was to prepare the aircraft to fly on the day of the flight.

The Marine Corps has taken the following actions in coordination with the original equipment manufacturer: design and field a new Proprotor Gearbox Input Quill Assembly that mitigates unintentional clutch disengagements and hard clutch engagement events; improve MV-22B drivetrain and flight control system software, drivetrain component material strength, and inspection requirements; and integrate a crash survivable, high-temperature, fire-resistant flight data recorder into all MV-22B aircraft. All USMC MV-22B commands will also present this investigation to pilots and aircrew to discuss the hazards of hard clutch engagements and its potential to cause a Single Engine/Interconnect Drive System failure compound emergency.

On February 3, 2023, the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force Special Operations Command issued Dynamic Component Bulletin 63 which directed the replacement of all input quill assemblies over a predetermined flight hour threshold at the recommendation of the V-22 Joint Program Office. Replacing the input quill assembly at this threshold significantly reduces the likelihood of a Hard Clutch Engagement occurring by 99 percent, based on the data.

We will never forget Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, Capt. John J. Sax, Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, and their loved ones, as we continue with our quest to provide the safest, most lethal platforms to the men and women who fly them.

The redacted command investigation is available to the public via the Marine Corps Freedom of Information Act website: hqmc.marines.mil/Agencies/USMC-FOIA/FRR/.

Release from Bell Textron

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Jul 19, 2023

Bell Expands H-1 Advanced Maintenance Training Academy for USMC

What does Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton, MCAS Futenma, Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center, and Bell’s Repair and Overhaul Center have in common? They are all locations where U.S. Marine Corps aircraft maintainers come to receive top-of-the-line maintenance training for the Bell H-1 aircraft line.

Bell has launched its H-1 Advanced Maintenance Training Academy (AMTA) to provide long-term fleet support through a week-long, interactive training program taught by Bell H-1 maintenance instructors and specialists. The training is an immersive experience coupled with 3-D courseware and hands-on technical instruction for routine maintenance repairs on items such as flight controls, gearboxes, swashplates, and both rotor blades.

“Through the H-1 AMTA, Marine maintainers can take the training knowledge that they receive here and implement it directly on the H-1 flight line, ensuring mission-focused fleet readiness at all times,” said Steve Rudat, H-1 AMTA instructor, Bell.

Marine maintainers from various Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons (MALS) and Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons (HMLA) located around the world, including MALS-29, MALS-39, HMLA-167, HMLA-169, HMLA-267, HMLA-367, HMLA-369, and HMLAT-303, have attended the H-1 AMTA offered at one of the participating locations.

Most recently, MCAS Camp Pendleton was added to the list of locations that host the H-1 AMTA.

“The goal of the AMTA is for Marines to develop a deeper understanding of the H-1 platform and how the different aircraft systems function together. Whether they are at their home squadron or deployed on a mission, our AMTA program provides H-1 Marine maintainers with the skills to keep their aircraft on the flight schedule,” said Bryan Riley, H-1 fleet support manager, Bell.

Since its launch, over 100 Marine maintainers have successfully completed the training program.

“At Bell, we are committed to providing top-tier after-market support to our customers, and this is one of the key ways that we can support the mission of the HMLA community,” said Nate Green, H-1 program manager, Bell.

The Bell H-1 line is purpose-built to support the U.S. Armed Forces. Bell continues to modernize the Bell AH-1Z Viper and Bell UH-1Y Venom to serve the future generations of warfighters. The current line of the Viper and Venom have proven to be two of the most agile, dependable, and interoperable aircrafts on the market.