Officially Licensed USMC UH-1Y Shoulder Patch — The Huey Reborn for the 21st-Century Battlefield Sixty years of Huey heritage, rebuilt from the ground up and still the first bird in the fight. The Bell UH-1Y Venom — known throughout the Marine Corps as the "Yankee" or "Super Huey" — is the USMC's premier utility helicopter and the latest evolution of the most iconic rotary-wing platform in American military history. Developed under the H-1 Upgrade Program launched in 1996, the Venom was built to replace the aging UH-1N Twin Huey that had served the Marines since the early 1970s. Bell originally planned to remanufacture existing UH-1N airframes, but by 2005 approval was granted to build the UH-1Y as an entirely new aircraft. It first entered service in 2008, was certified operationally capable on August 8 of that year, and deployed for the first time in January 2009 with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Marine Corps purchased 160 Venoms, and the UH-1N was fully retired by August 2014, making the UH-1Y the Corps' standard utility helicopter. Featuring a four-blade, all-composite rotor system rated to withstand 23mm rounds, twin General Electric T700-GE-401C engines, a modern glass cockpit, and a 21-inch fuselage extension for increased capacity, the Venom delivers a 125 percent boost in payload and nearly 50 percent greater range and speed compared to its predecessor. It shares 84 percent parts commonality with the AH-1Z Viper, giving Marine Light Attack Helicopter squadrons unmatched logistical efficiency. Venoms arrived in Afghanistan in 2009, provided air support during the Taliban raid on Camp Bastion, struck ISIS targets in Libya with the 22nd MEU in 2016, and continue to serve as the backbone of MAGTF utility aviation worldwide — carrying troops, providing fire support with door-mounted .50-cal and 7.62mm guns, conducting CASEVAC, and supporting special operations. Perfect For: UH-1Y Venom pilots and crew chiefs, HMLA squadron Marines, Huey community veterans, Marine utility helicopter maintainers, and anyone who carries the legacy of the most famous helicopter in military history.
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