Bell Helicopter announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded a new production contract to Bell for the purchase of Lot 6 of the H-1 Upgrade Program, an award worth $288 million.

The 16 aircraft in Lot 6 include five AH-1Z aircraft and 11 UH-1Y aircraft. All 16 aircraft will be built at Bell’s Military Aircraft Assembly Center in Amarillo, Texas, with deliveries of completed Lot 6 aircraft scheduled to begin in 2011.

Officials at Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., signed the new production contract Mar. 27. Bell is now on contract to produce a total of 65 upgraded H-1 aircraft for the Marines: 17 AH-1Z attack aircraft and 48 UH-1Y utility aircraft. So far, the company has delivered 23 upgraded H-1 helicopters: six AH-1Zs and 17 UH-1Ys.