At a panel discussion during the 2019 Sea Air Space expo, the U.S. Marine Corps indicated that it prefer to have a tiltrotor aircraft as the replacement for the H-1 helicopter.
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters past Mount Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan, March 12, 2017. The squadron, currently supporting Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force through the unit deployment program, validated the long-range capability of auxiliary fuel tanks on their H-1 platform helicopters by flying 314 nautical miles during one leg of the four-day mission, March 10. These aircrafts’ extended range is crucial to maintaining a stronger, more capable forward-deployed force in readiness in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The squadron is based out of Camp Pendleton, California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andy Martinez)
Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation, says this is necessary so that the new aircraft can keep up with the MV-22.
