Bell UH-1Y Venom

The Bell 450 was part of the Marines H-1 upgrade program to remanufacture the existing fleet of UH-1N utility helicopters into an advanced configuration featuring common engines and flight dynamics with the newly developed AH-1Z Viper. The program was originally envisioned as an upgrade, but it was later decided to manufacture new aircraft instead.

The prototype, a converted UH-1N airframe, first flew on December 20, 2001. Low-rate initial production began in October 2003, and the first production aircraft were delivered in 2005.

The Super Huey completed the transition from the UH-1N in West Coast Marine units in 2011, with HMLA-167 from MCAS New River becoming the first unit on the East Coast to receive them on September 29 of that year.

Bell delivered the 160th and final UH-1Y to the US Marines in April 2018.