The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined
attack helicopter
An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they ...
developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer
Bell Helicopter
Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, as well as commercial helicopters in M ...
. A member of the prolific
Huey family
The Bell Huey family of helicopters includes a wide range of civil and military aircraft produced since 1956 by Bell Helicopter. This H-1 family of aircraft includes the utility UH-1 Iroquois and the derivative AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter series ...
, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake.
The AH-1 was rapidly developed as an interim
gunship
A gunship is a military aircraft armed with heavy aircraft guns, primarily intended for attacking ground targets either as airstrike or as close air support.
In modern usage the term "gunship" refers to fixed-wing aircraft having laterally-mo ...
in response to the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
's needs in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. It used the same engine,
transmission
Transmission may refer to:
Medicine, science and technology
* Power transmission
** Electric power transmission
** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power
*** Automatic transmission
*** Manual transmission
*** ...
and
rotor
Rotor may refer to:
Science and technology
Engineering
*Rotor (electric), the non-stationary part of an alternator or electric motor, operating with a stationary element so called the stator
* Helicopter rotor, the rotary wing(s) of a rotorcraft ...
system of the
Bell UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helic ...
, which had already proven itself to be a capable platform during the conflict, but paired it with a redesigned narrow fuselage among other features. The original AH-1, being a dedicated attack helicopter, came equipped with stub wings for various weapons, a chin-mounted
gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
, and an armored tandem
cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft.
The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
, from which its was operated by a pilot and gunner. Its design was shaped to fulfil a need for a dedicated armed escort for transport helicopter, giving the latter greater survivability in contested environments. On 7 September 1965, the ''Model 209'' prototype performed its
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...
; after rapidly gaining the support of various senior officials, quantity production of the type proceeded rapidly with little revision.
During June 1967, the first examples of the AH-1 entered service with the US Army and was promptly deployed to the Vietnam theatre. It commonly provided fire support to friendly ground forces, escorted transport helicopters, and flew in "hunter killer" teams by pairing with
Hughes OH-6A Cayuse
The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. Its formal name is derived from the Cayuse people while its "Loach" nickname comes from the acronym fo ...
scout helicopters. In the Vietnam War alone, the Cobra fleet cumulatively chalked up in excess of one million operational hours; roughly 300 AH-1s were also lost in combat. In addition to the US Army, various other branches of the US military also opted to acquire the type, particularly the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
. Furthermore, numerous export sales were completed with several overseas countries, including
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, and
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
.
For several decades, the AH-1 formed the core of the US Army's attack helicopter fleet, seeing combat in Vietnam,
Grenada
Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...
,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
, and the
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
. In US Army service, the Cobra was progressively replaced by the newer and more capable
Boeing AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache () is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night visi ...
during the 1990s, with the final examples being withdrawn during 2001. The
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
(IAF) operated the Cobra most prolifically along its land border with
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
, using its fleet intensively during the
1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...
. Turkish AH-1s have seen regular combat with
Kurd ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...
ish insurgents near Turkey's southern borders. Upgraded versions of the Cobra have been developed, such as the twin engined
AH-1 SeaCobra/SuperCobra and the experimental
Bell 309 KingCobra
The Bell Model 309 KingCobra was an experimental attack helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter, based on the Bell AH-1 Cobra.
Design and development
Background
The AH-1 Cobra was developed in the mid-1960s as an interim gunship for the U.S. A ...
. Furthermore, surplus AH-1 helicopters have been reused for other purposes, including civilian ones; numerous examples have been converted to perform
aerial firefighting
Aerial may refer to:
Music
* ''Aerial'' (album), by Kate Bush
* ''Aerials'' (song), from the album ''Toxicity'' by System of a Down
Bands
*Aerial (Canadian band)
* Aerial (Scottish band)
* Aerial (Swedish band)
Performance art
* Aerial sil ...
operations.
Development
Background
Closely related to the development of the Bell AH-1 is the story of the
Bell UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helic ...
transport helicopter—an icon of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
and one of the most numerous helicopter types built. The UH-1 made the theory of
air cavalry
For much of history, humans have used some form of cavalry for war and, as a result, cavalry tactics have evolved over time. Tactically, the main advantages of cavalry over infantry troops were greater mobility, a larger impact, and a higher pos ...
practical, as the new tactics called for US forces to be highly mobile across a wide area. Unlike before, they would not stand and fight long
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
s, and they would not stay and hold positions. Instead, the plan was that the troops carried by fleets of UH-1 "Hueys" would range across the country, to fight the enemy at times and places of their own choice.
[Wheeler 1987, pp. 62–64.]
The massive expansion of American military presence in Vietnam opened a new era of war from the air. The linchpin of US Army tactics was the helicopters, and the protection of those helicopters became a vital role.
[Wheeler 1987, pp. 60–61.] It became clear that unarmed troop helicopters were vulnerable against ground fire from
Viet Cong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
and
North Vietnamese
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
troops, particularly as they approached landing zones to disembark or embark troops. Without friendly support from artillery or ground forces, the only way to pacify a landing zone was from the air, preferably with an aircraft that could closely escort the transport helicopters, and loiter over the landing zone as the battle progressed. By 1962, a small number of armed UH-1As were used as escorts, armed with multiple machine guns and rocket mounts.
[Wheeler 1987, pp. 57–62, 64–65.] However, these makeshift gunships came with considerable tradeoffs, particularly being barely able to keep up with the troop transports they were intended to protect.
While some officials within the Pentagon, particularly those within the US Army, had recognised the potential value of purpose-built armed rotary aircraft as early as 1962 and were keen to see such a vehicle developed promptly, the issue was complicated in part due to inter-service politics.
The
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
(USAF) largely held the opinion that most forms of US military aircraft should be operated only by their service, and that the US Army would be intruding into their domain by developing a complex armed aerial combatant, and ought to be largely restricted to transport aircraft. Meanwhile, some Army officials were concerned that the USAF did not take the
close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
(CAS) mission as seriously as it ought to be, and that response times of 30 minutes or more for fixed-wing aircraft would be unacceptable.
Iroquois Warrior, Sioux Scout and AAFSS
![Bell 207](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Bell_207.jpg)
Bell had been investigating helicopter gunships since the late 1950s, paying particular attention to the
Algerian War
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
, in which French forces mounted weapons onto helicopters to fight the growing insurgency.
The company created a mockup of its D-255 helicopter gunship concept, named "Iroquois Warrior". The Iroquois Warrior was planned to be a purpose-built attack aircraft based on UH-1B components with a new, slender airframe and a two-seat, tandem cockpit. It featured a grenade launcher in a ball turret on the nose, a 20 mm belly-mounted gun pod, and stub wings for mounting rockets or
SS.10 anti-tank missiles.
[Verier 1990, pp. 12–17.]
In June 1962, Bell displayed the mockup to US Army officials, hoping to solicit funding for further development; rival manufacturers issued protests to this approach, alleging that it was an attempt by Bell to circumvent the competitive process.
Nevertheless, the Army was interested and awarded Bell a proof-of-concept contract in December 1962. Bell modified a Model 47 into the Model 207 Sioux Scout which first flew in July 1963. The Sioux Scout had all the key features of a modern attack helicopter: a tandem cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft.
The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
, stub wings for weapons, and a chin-mounted gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
. After evaluating the Sioux Scout in early 1964, the Army was impressed but also felt that it was undersized, underpowered, and that the Sioux Scout was generally not suited for practical operations.[Donald and March 2004, .]
The Army's solution to the shortcomings of the Sioux Scout was to launch the Advanced Aerial Fire Support System
The Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne was an attack helicopter developed by Lockheed for the United States Army. It rose from the Army's Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) program to field the service's first dedicated attack helicopter. Loc ...
(AAFSS) competition.[ This called for a heavily armed helicopter capable of at least 200 MPH. A total of seven companies, including Bell, opted to respond to the requirement.] It was out of the AAFSS program that the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne
The Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne was an attack helicopter developed by Lockheed for the United States Army. It rose from the Army's Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) program to field the service's first dedicated attack helicopter. Lock ...
emerged, a heavy attack helicopter with high speed capability. During testing, it proved to be too sophisticated and costly, and was ultimately canceled in 1972 after ten years of development. In its place, the Advanced Attack Helicopter
The Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH) was a United States Army program to develop an advanced ground attack helicopter beginning in 1972. The Advanced Attack Helicopter program followed cancellation of the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne. After evaluat ...
program was launched. Under this initiative, the Army sought a conventional attack helicopter with a greater level of survivability.[
]
Model 209
Despite the Army's preference for the AAFSS program —for which Bell Helicopter was not selected to compete— the company persisted with their own idea of a smaller and lighter gunship, noting that Lockheed had little experience in developing rotorcraft and correctly predicted that it would encounter considerable difficulties. Bell employee Mike Folse played a key role in developing this new gunship, which he intentionally based around the existing UH-1 on the rationale that, while the Army could not purchase a completely original helicopter without a formal design competition, the service was able to procure a modification of an aircraft that was already in its inventory without invoking such hurdles. This initiative quickly caught the approval of Bell's senior management team.
In January 1965, Bell elected to invest $1 million to proceed with the concept's detailed design. Mating the proven transmission, the "540" rotor system of the UH-1C augmented by a Stability Control Augmentation System (SCAS), and the T53 turboshaft engine of the UH-1 with the design philosophy of the Sioux Scout, Bell produced the ''Model 209''.[ It largely resembled the "Iroquois Warrior" mockup,][Bishop 2006, .] particularly in its cockpit and tail book; in broad visual terms, there was relatively little shared between the proposed design and the UH-1. Despite appearance, much of the Model 209's major elements, such as the tail rotor and much of the dynamic systems, were identical. Roughly 80 percent of its components already had existing Huey part numbers.
On 3 September 1965, Bell rolled out its Model 209 prototype, and four days later it made its maiden flight, only eight months after the project's go-ahead and slightly under budget. This first flight was witnessed by around 20 US Army officials, the service having had no awareness of the project's existence prior to this, and rapidly drew the government's attention. One early test flight was met with a reportedly enthusiastic visit by US secretary of defense Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He remains the Lis ...
. Bell claimed at this phase of the project that production units could be ready for service within one year
As the Vietnam War proceeded, pressure accumulated in favor of the Model 209. Attacks on US forces were increasing and, by the end of June 1965, there were already 50,000 US ground troops in Vietnam.[ 1965 was also the deadline for AAFSS selection, but the program would become stuck in technical difficulties and political bickering. The US Army needed an interim gunship for Vietnam and it approached five separate companies with its request to provide a quick solution. Submissions came in for armed variants of the Boeing-Vertol ACH-47A, Kaman HH-2C Tomahawk, ]Piasecki 16H Pathfinder
The Piasecki 16H was a series of compound helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and ...
, Sikorsky S-61
The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, SH-3 Sea King military helicopter. It was developed and produced by the American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft.
The commercial version of the Sea King w ...
, and the Bell 209.
During April 1966, Bell's submission emerged victorious in an evaluation against the other rival helicopters. The US Army promptly signed the first production contract, ordering an initial batch of 110 aircraft.[McGowen 2005, p. 107.] By the end of the year, rapid follow-on orders had increased this to 500 Cobras. Bell added "Cobra" to the UH-1's Huey nickname to produce its ''HueyCobra'' name for the 209. The Army applied the ''Cobra'' name to its AH-1G designation for the helicopter. The Bell 209 demonstrator was used for the next six years to test weapons and fit of equipment. An additional use for the demonstrator was participating in marketing initiatives. It was also modified to match the AH-1 production standard by the early 1970s. The demonstrator was retired to the Patton Museum at Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...
, Kentucky and converted to approximately its original appearance.[
]
Into production
The Bell 209 design was modified in several respects for production. The retractable skids were replaced by simpler fixed skids; this was not due to any recorded design flaw or serviceably, but it was feared that the landing gear bay could become inundated with mud. Furthermore, a new wide-chord rotor blade was adopted. It was also decided that a plexiglass canopy should replace the Model 209's armored glass canopy, which was heavy enough to negatively impact performance.[McGowen 2005, p. 158.] The umbrella-shaped dive brake
Dive brakes or dive flaps are deployed to slow down an aircraft when in a dive. They often consist of a metal flap that is lowered against the air flow, thus creating drag and reducing dive speed.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, ...
was deleted, having reportedly self-destructed during its first test flight.
Numerous changes of the design were incorporated after the Cobra had entered service. The principal amongst these changes was the repositioning of the tail rotor from the helicopter's left side to the right, which facilitated an increase in the effectiveness of the tail rotor. The AH-1 was the first U.S. Army helicopter not named for a Native American people since the practice began with the H-13 Sioux H13, H-13 or H.13 may refer to:
Roads
* H-13 (Michigan county highway), a road in the United States
* Highway H13 (Ukraine)
Vehicles
* Bell H-13 Sioux, an American helicopter
* , a H-class submarine ordered by but not commissioned into the Royal N ...
and continued with the UH-1 Iroquois, AH-56 Cheyenne, OH-58 Kiowa, and later helicopters.
Within its first decade of service, the US Army had put the original Cobra model through various exercises and operations, which highlighted both the attack helicopter's promise and areas in which it could be improved.[McGowen 2005, pp. 157-158.] By 1972, the US Army openly sought an improved anti-armor capability. Under the Improved Cobra Armament Program (ICAP), trials of eight AH-1s fitted with TOW missiles were conducted in October 1973. After passing qualification tests the following year, Bell was contracted with upgrading 101 AH-1Gs to the TOW-capable AH-1Q configuration. While early-production examples were not compatible with night vision goggles
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...
, the cockpit instrumentation of later Cobras was altered to facilitate their use.
Further variants of the Cobra were promptly developed, with both new-build models and early production examples being modified to incorporate the improvements. During March 1978, the US Army opted to procure a batch of 100 new-build Cobras that featured a new T-shaped instrument panel, improved composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
rotor blades, revised transmission and gearboxes, the M128 helmet-mounted sight, and the M28A3 armament system.[McGowen 2005, pp. 158-159.] A major feature was the adoption of the more powerful T53 engine. Designated AH-1S, the Cobra was upgraded in three stages, culminating with the AH-1F.[McGowen 2005, pp. 159-160.] The AH-1F integrated numerous countermeasures, including an infrared jammer, a radar jammer, and a hot plume exhaust suppressor.
The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) quickly became interested in the Cobra, opting to order an improved twin-engine version in 1968 under the designation AH-1J.[McGowen 2005, p. 108.] During the early 1970s, the USMC proceeded to order an upgraded model, the AH-1T, which featured dynamic elements derived from the abortive Bell 309 KingCobra
The Bell Model 309 KingCobra was an experimental attack helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter, based on the Bell AH-1 Cobra.
Design and development
Background
The AH-1 Cobra was developed in the mid-1960s as an interim gunship for the U.S. A ...
; as such, it featured a longer fuselage and tailboom. These dynamic changes were combined with the adoption of heavier armaments, which provided the USMC with an effective anti-armour capacity, unlike the preceding model.[McGowen 2005, p. 160.] The USMC's interest in the Cobra would lead to the production of more twin-engine variants of the helicopter.
Design
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a dedicated attack helicopter, built to provide close air support and to escort friendly troop transports. The visual design of the Cobra was intentionally made to be sleek and be akin to that of a jet fighter. Aviation author Stanley McGowen observed that its appearance differed radically from any prior rotorcraft designed by Bell, possessing a relatively narrow fuselage and a then-unusual cockpit arrangement. This cockpit was covered by a large fighter-like canopy and its occupants protected by armor, such included tempered-steel seats and personal body armor. It was operated by both a pilot and gunner, who were seated in a stepped tandem arrangement in which the commander was placed in the rear seat while the gunner occupied the forward position. This forward position provided a higher level of visibility to that of the rear seat. Both positions were provided with flying controls while both crew would typically be certified pilots, enabling control of the Cobra to be exchanged quickly through the course of the mission.
Much of the Cobra's armaments could be installed upon the multiple hardpoint
A hardpoint is an attachment location on a structural frame designed to transfer force and carry an external or internal load. The term is usually used to refer to the mounting points (more formally known as a weapon station or station) on the ...
s that were attached to the stub wings set on either side of the fuselage. In comparison to armed UH-1s, the Cobra would typically carried twice as much ammunition and arrive on station in half the time, it also had three times the loiter time, which enabled the type to arrive in a designated landing zone ahead of transport helicopters to clear it, provide support fire while they are present, and to continue fighting as they withdraw. The slim profile of the helicopter allegedly provided defensive benefits by making it harder for opponents to accurately hit it with small arms fire, although man-portable air-defense system
Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters.
Overview
MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...
(MANPADS) did prove to be effective against the Cobra. Particularly vulnerable areas included the tail rotor drive shaft and to the main transmission.
Typically, the Cobra would avoid hovering at any point in an active engagement; instead, emphasis was placed on maintaining speed and mobility. The gunner often fired the chin-mounted cannon with the intention of suppressing hostile targets in between barrages of 2.75-inch rockets, held in pods upon the stub wings, which were fired by the back-seater. It was unusual for Cobras to operate alone; instead, two or more would be dispatched and teamwork encouraged, leading to hunter-killer tactics being used to flush out and eliminate ground targets. Pairings with other helicopters, such as the Bell OH-58 Kiowa
The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine single-rotor military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. It was produced by the American manufacturer Bell Helicopter and is closely related to the Model 206A ...
scout helicopter, were also common occurrences. Radio communications were handled by the gunner. Regardless of mission profile, low altitude flying was commonplace.
Operational history
United States
By June 1967, the first AH-1G HueyCobras had been delivered. Originally designated as UH-1H, the "A" for attack designation was soon adopted and when the improved UH-1D became the UH-1H, the HueyCobra became the AH-1G. The AH-1 was initially considered a variant of the H-1 line, resulting in the G series letter.[Donald 2004, p. 166.]
The first six AH-1s arrived at Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnamese: ''Sân bay Biên Hòa'') is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about from Ho Chi Minh City, across the Dong Nai river in the northern ward of Tân Phon ...
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
on 30 August 1967 for combat testing by the U.S. Army Cobra New Equipment Training Team. On 4 September, the type scored its first combat kill by sinking a sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat-bottomed Chinese and Malay wooden boat. Some sampans include a small shelter on board and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. The design closely resembles Western hard chine boats like th ...
boat, killing four Viet Cong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
.[ The first AH-1 unit, the 334th Assault Helicopter Company, was declared operational on 6 October 1967. The Army operated the Cobra continuously up to the U.S. withdrawal from South Vietnam in 1973. Typically, the AH-1 provided fire support for ground forces and escorted transport helicopters, in addition to other roles, including aerial rocket artillery (ARA) battalions in the two Airmobile divisions. They also formed "hunter killer" teams by pairing with ]OH-6A Cayuse
The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. Its formal name is derived from the Cayuse people while its "Loach" nickname comes from the acronym fo ...
scout helicopters; a team normally comprised a single OH-6 flying slow and low to find enemy forces. If the OH-6 drew fire, the Cobra could strike at the then revealed enemy.[McGowen 2005, pp. 107-108.]
On 12 September 1968, Capt. Ronald Fogleman
Ronald Robert Fogleman (born January 27, 1942) is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the 15th Chief of Staff of the Air Force from 1994 to 1997 and as Commanding General of the United States Transportation Command from 1992 t ...
was flying an F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of ...
when the aircraft was shot down and he ejected north of Bien Hoa. Fogleman became the only pilot to be rescued by holding on to an Army AH-1G's deployed gun-panel door. Bell built 1,116 AH-1Gs for the U.S. Army between 1967 and 1973, and the Cobras chalked up over a million operational hours in Vietnam;[ the number of Cobras in service peaked at 1,081. Out of nearly 1,110 AH-1s that were delivered between 1967 and 1973, approximately 300 were lost to a combination of combat and accidents during the conflict.][ During ]Operation Lam Son 719
Operation Lam Son 719 or 9th Route – Southern Laos Campaign ( vi, Chiến dịch Lam Sơn 719 or Chiến dịch đường 9 – Nam Lào) was a limited-objective offensive campaign conducted in the southeastern portion of the Kingdom of Laos. T ...
in Southeastern Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, 26 U.S Army AH-1Gs were destroyed while a further 158 sustained some level of damage.
The U.S. Marine Corps also operated the AH-1G Cobra in Vietnam for a short time before acquiring the twin-engine AH-1J Cobras.[ The AH-1Gs had been adopted by the Marines as an interim measure, a total of 38 helicopters having been transferred from the U.S. Army to the Marines in 1969.][Marine AH-1J SeaCobra](_blank)
. vectorsite.net[McGowen 2005, pp. 108-109.]
During Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada in 1983, several AH-1T Cobras were deployed to fly close air support and helicopter escort missions. On the first day of the invasion, two of the four Cobras involved were lost to anti-aircraft fire in the attack on Fort Frederick.
During 1989, Army Cobras participated in Operation Just Cause, the U.S. invasion of Panama
The United States invasion of Panama, codenamed Operation Just Cause, lasted over a month between mid-December 1989 and late January 1990. It occurred during the administration of President George H. W. Bush and ten years after the Torrijos– ...
.[ It operated alongside its eventual successor in US Army service, the ]Boeing AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache () is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night visi ...
, for the first time during the combat in Panama.
During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
(1990–91), both the Cobras and SuperCobras deployed in a support role. The USMC deployed 91 AH-1W SuperCobras while the US Army operated 140 AH-1 Cobras of various models in the theatre; these were typically operated from dispersed forward operating bases in close proximity to Saudi Arabia's border with Iraq. Three AH-1s were lost in accidents during fighting and afterward. Cobras successfully destroyed large numbers of Iraqi armored vehicles and various other targets during the intense fighting of the conflict.[
US Cobras were deployed in further operations across the 1990s. Army Cobras provided support for the US humanitarian intervention during ]Operation Restore Hope
The Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), U ...
in Somalia in 1993. They were also employed during the US invasion of Haiti in 1994.[
During the 1990s, the US Army gradually phased out its Cobra fleet, completely retiring the type from active service in March 1999.] The service, which had long sought a more capable successor to the Cobra, had procured a large fleet of AH-64 Apaches since receiving the first example of the type during early 1984.[Bishop 2005, pp. 5–6.] The withdrawn AH-1s were typically offered to other potential operators, usually NATO allies. The Army retired the AH-1 from its reserves in September 2001. The retired AH-1s were then disposed of, often through sales to overseas customers; the final portion of the fleet was liquidated in 2010. Some were also given to the USDA's Forest Service.[ The US Marine Corps retired the AH-1W SuperCobra in 2020, and continues to operate the ]AH-1Z Viper
The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. Being one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family, it is also ca ...
.
Israel
Israel was an early export customer for the Cobra, purchasing six AH-1Gs from the US Army. The government was keen to procure a capable attack helicopter as recent combat in the Yom-Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egy ...
had shown a need for a capable platform for countering enemy armour. The type was operated by the Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
(IAF), with the First Attack Helicopter Squadron formally commencing on 1 December 1977. The service named the type as the "Tzefa" ( he, צפע, for Viper
The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...
).
On 9 May 1979, the IAF's Cobras performed their first attack, firing four Orev missiles at a house near Tyre, Lebanon
Tyre (; ar, صور, translit=Ṣūr; phn, 𐤑𐤓, translit=Ṣūr, Greek language, Greek ''Tyros'', Τύρος) is a city in Lebanon, one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, t ...
, that was occupied by militants. Israel's fleet of Cobras was particularly active on the Lebanon front, having participated in the fighting there for in excess of 20 years. They were intensively used during the 1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...
to destroy Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
n armor and fortifications alike, being reportedly responsible for the destruction of dozens of Syrian ground vehicles. In one operation alone, a pair of IAF Cobras destroyed three enemy tanks and one truck. Based upon its performance in the conflict, it was decided to remove the rocket pods and increase the amount of ammunition carried for the cannon instead. Other operational changes included a greater emphasis on cooperation with ground units to avoid friendly fire incidents.
Largely due to a US embargo
Economic sanctions are commercial and financial penalties applied by one or more countries against a targeted self-governing state, group, or individual. Economic sanctions are not necessarily imposed because of economic circumstances—they m ...
that prevented the purchase of further Cobras, Israel procured alternative platforms instead, including around 20 McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender
The McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems MD 500 Defender is a light multi-role military helicopter based on the MD 500 light utility helicopter and OH-6 Cayuse Light Observation Helicopter.
Design and development
The original OH-6 Cayuse he ...
s in late 1979. Between 1983 and 1985, by which time the embargo had been lifted, 24 new Cobras were purchased; the expanded fleet enabled the creation of a second squadron, known as the Fighting Family Squadron, on 1 June 1985. During 1990, the IAF received its first Boeing AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache () is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night visi ...
attack helicopters,[Donald 2004, p. 157.] having acquired a fleet of 42 by 2000. At the time of the Apache's procurement, there was considerable political controversy over the IAF's decision to overlook upgrades to its existing Cobra fleet in favour of acquiring an entirely separate model of attack helicopter.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Cobras continued to play a role in major operations against groups such as Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
, including Operations "Accountability
Accountability, in terms of ethics and governance, is equated with answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the publ ...
" and " Grapes of Wrath", in southern Lebanon. During August 1996, the IAF's Cobra fleet was expanded yet again via 14 surplus US Army AH-1F Cobras being acquired, some of which were used by the front line squadrons while others were operated exclusively for flight training purposes. During the 2000s, the Cobra's precision strike capability was bolstered by the adoption of the Spike missile.
During late 2013, Israel opted to retire the last of its 33 AH-1 Cobras from front line service, largely due to budget cuts. Its role was taken up entirely by the IAI's squadrons of AH-64 attack helicopters, while an extensive fleet of unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s (UAVs) took over the role of patrolling combat zones. The Cobra fleet was considerably older than the Apaches, which contributed to several fatal crashes of the type. The Cobras were also more expensive to maintain than UAVs and their use exposed pilots to attacks from man-portable air-defense system
Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters.
Overview
MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...
s operated by guerrilla groups. Around the same time frame, the IAF also pursued upgrades to its AH-64 fleet.
In late 2014, Israel transferred 16 of the recently-withdrawn Cobras to the Royal Jordanian Air Force
The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; ar, سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, Silāḥ ul-Jawu al-Malakī 'al-Urdunī) is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces.
History
Early days
Jordan gained independence in 19 ...
to bolster the numbers of their existing fleet.
Japan
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
manufactured 89 AH-1S Cobras under license by Fuji Heavy Industries
is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was formerly named ( ...
from 1984 to 2000. The type is used by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
, and are Step 3 models, which are roughly the equivalent to the U.S. Army's AH-1Fs. The engine is the T53-K-703 turboshaft, which Kawasaki Heavy Industries
(or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...
produced under license.[ During the 2010s, Japan was examining options for procuring a fleet of new rotorcraft to replace its aging Cobras; it has been specified that the replacement helicopter would need to be optimized for marine use and able to operate from expeditionary airstrips or sea bases, and that between 30 and 50 such craft would be purchased.
In December 2022, the Japanese government decided to replace 47 AH-1S, 12 ]AH-64D
The Boeing AH-64 Apache () is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night visi ...
, 33 OH-1, and 26 U-125A
The British Aerospace 125 is a twinjet mid-size business jet. Originally developed by de Havilland and initially designated as the DH.125 Jet Dragon, it entered production as the Hawker Siddeley HS.125, which was the designation used until 19 ...
with unmanned aerial vehicles. Japan plans to increase its defense budget from 1.24% of GDP in fiscal 2021 to around 2.0% within 10 years, and has decided to retire these helicopters and aircraft as part of an effort to spend its defense budget efficiently.
Jordan
Jordan obtained an initial batch of 24 AH-1Fs during the late 1980s. In 2001, nine additional ex-US Army Cobras were acquired to supplement the fleet. During 2010, Jordan transferred 16 AH-1F helicopters to Pakistan under a US-sponsored support program that provided Islamabad with 40 AH-1 refurbished helicopters.
In late 2014, Israel and Jordan came to an agreement under which the former transferred 16 ex-IAF Cobras to the Royal Jordanian Air Force
The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; ar, سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, Silāḥ ul-Jawu al-Malakī 'al-Urdunī) is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces.
History
Early days
Jordan gained independence in 19 ...
. The deal was publicly stated to be for the purpose of increasing border security, which was viewed as a pressing concern of both nations due to the threats posed by Islamic State
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
(IS) militants, as well as by other insurgent groups, at that time.
The Royal Jordanian Air Force has at least one squadron of Cobras in service, and is supposed to have used them in combat in Iraq and Syria.
Turkey
Turkey bought ten AH-1Ws in the early 1990s, and supplemented them with 32 ex-US Army Cobras. These additional units included several TAH-1P trainers while the majority were brought up to the AH-1F standard. During the 2010s, Turkish Cobras have repeatedly seen combat in operations against Kurd ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...
ish insurgents around Turkey's borders with both Syria and Iraq. Several Cobras have reportedly been lost to enemy fire during these operations. Amid the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt
On 15 July 2016, a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces, organized as the Peace at Home Council, attempted a coup d'état against state institutions, including the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They attempted to seize cont ...
, Turkish Cobras were alleged to have fired upon several police vehicles.
Pakistan
Between 1984 and 1986, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
was supplied with an initial batch of 20 AH-1S gunships by the US; these were later upgraded with the C-NITE thermal imaging package. Operated by Pakistan Army Aviation
, image = AAvn logo.PNG
, caption = Formation Sign of Army Aviation Command
, start_date = 14 August 1947 – present
, country =
, allegiance ...
, the service first used Cobra overseas in Somalia during the United Nations Operation in Somalia II
United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia and took place from March 1993 until March 1995, following the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991.
UNOSOM II carried on ...
, where a single squadron was deployed in 1994. Pakistani Cobras subsequently saw action in Sierra Leone.
By 2013, Pakistan reportedly operated a fleet of 35 AH-1F helicopters. Maintaining these aircraft has been difficult, but possible through commercial channels. Additionally, the US government provided $750,000 through 2013 to update the existing AH-1F/S Cobra fleet. However, controversy over how much of this funding has actually been spent on Pakistan's Cobras has also been present throughout the 2010s. Turkey has also become a key supplier of spare parts for the Cobra, often free of cost, to Pakistan. During the 2010s, Pakistan lost a total of three aircraft in separate incidents.
Pakistan repeatedly sought the Bell AH-1 SuperCobra
The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engined attack helicopter that was developed on behalf of, and primarily operated by, the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The twin Cobra family, itself part of the larger Huey family, includes the AH-1J S ...
from the US to supplement and replace its current AH-1 Cobras. Attempts to acquire the AH-1Z Viper
The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. Being one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family, it is also ca ...
or AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache () is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vis ...
from the US were rejected, so Pakistan turned to buying other foreign attack helicopters. Possible candidates have included the Turkish T129, the Chinese CAIC Z-10
The CAIC Z-10 ( zh, 直-10, "helicopter-10"), also called WZ-10 ( zh, 武直-10, "armed helicopter-10"), is a Chinese medium attack helicopter developed for the People's Liberation Army Ground Force. It is designed primarily for anti-tank warfar ...
, and the Russian Mi-35 Hind. In November 2014, Russia approved the sale of Mi-35M helicopters to Pakistan. In April 2015, China delivered three Z-10s to Pakistan. During the same month, the US Department of State approved the sale of 15 AH-1Zs and associated equipment to Pakistan. During October 2017, the T129 was also reported to be a contender for further orders.
Philippines
The Jordanian government offered to provide up to four surplus AH-1F Cobras to the Philippines for counter terrorism operations. The offer was later reduced to two units, which the Philippine government accepted. On 26 November 2019, an Antonov An-124 airlifter carried the two Bell AH-1F Cobras from Jordan to Clark International Airport/Clark Air Base. The helicopters are reportedly painted in a light grey livery similar to the paint scheme of the PAF's AgustaWestland AW109E armed helicopters.
Civilian operators
In 2003, the US Forest Service acquired 25 retired AH-1Fs from the US Army.[ These have been designated Bell 209 and are being converted into Firewatch Cobras with infrared and low light sensors and systems for real time fire monitoring.][Firewatch Helicopter page]
US Forest Service, 2004. The last two Firewatch Cobras were retired in October 2021.
The Florida Division of Forestry also acquired three AH-1Ps from the US Army. These are called Bell 209 "Firesnakes" and are equipped to carry a water/fire retardant system.[
]
Variants
Single-engine
;Bell 209: Original AH-1G prototype with retractable skid landing gear. This model number is also used by the FAA for the civilian registration of former U.S. Army AH-1s used in firefighting service.
;AH-1G HueyCobra: Initial 1966 production model gunship for the US Army, with one Avco Lycoming T53-13 turboshaft.
;JAH-1G HueyCobra: One helicopter for armament testing including Hellfire missiles and multi-barrel cannon.[Donald 1997, p. 112.]
;TH-1G HueyCobra: Two-seat dual-control trainer.[
;Z.14 HueyCobra: The Spanish Navy purchased eight new-build AH-1Gs, designating the type the "Z-14". These were equipped with the M35 20 mm cannon system, and were used to support coastal patrol boats. Four of these were lost in accidents. The remaining helicopters were retired in 1985 with three sent back to the US, and one kept in storage in Spain.][
;YAH-1Q: Eight AH-1Gs with XM26 Telescopic Sight Unit (TSU) and two M56 TOW 4-pack launchers.][
;AH-1Q HueyCobra: Equipped with the M65 ]TOW
Towing is coupling two or more objects together so that they may be pulled by a designated power source or sources. The towing source may be a motorized land vehicle, vessel, animal, or human, and the load being anything that can be pulled. Th ...
/Cobra missile subsystem, M65 Telescopic Sight Unit (TSU), and M73 Reflex sight. All future versions will be equipped with the TSU and be equipped to fire the TOW missile subsystem.
;YAH-1R: AH-1G powered by a T53-L-703 engine without TOW system.[
;YAH-1S: AH-1Q upgrade and TOW system.][
;AH-1S: The baseline AH-1S is an AH-1Q upgraded with a T53-L-703 turboshaft engine. The AH-1S is also referred to as the "Improved AH-1S", "AH-1S Modified", or "AH-1S(MOD)" prior to 1988. (Prior to 1988, all upgraded aircraft were referred to as variants of the AH-1S.)][
;QAH-1S: A target drone conversion of the AH-1S by Bell-Bristol Aerospace under a joint US and ]Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
development program started in 1994. Honeywell further modified the QAH-1S into the ''Hokum-X'' by installing systems and hardware to allow it to simulate the Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n Kamov Ka-50
The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" (russian: Чёрная акула, translit=Chyornaya akula, English: kitefin shark, NATO reporting name: Hokum A) is a Soviet/Russian single-seat attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of th ...
attack helicopter. Three Hokum-Xs were completed from 1998 to 2001.
;AH-1P: 100 production aircraft with composite rotors, flat plate glass cockpit, and improved cockpit layout for nap-of-earth (NOE) flight. The AH-1P is also referred to as the "Production AH-1S", or "AH-1S(PROD)" prior to 1988. These improvements are considered Step 1 of the AH-1S upgrade program.[
;AH-1E: 98 production aircraft with the Enhanced Cobra Armament System (ECAS) featuring the M97A1 armament subsystem with a three-barreled M197 20 mm cannon. The AH-1E is also referred to as the "Upgunned AH-1S", or "AH-1S(ECAS)" prior to 1988. These improvements are considered Step 2 of the AH-1S upgrade program.][ AH-1E aircraft included the M147 Rocket Management Subsystem (RMS) to fire rockets.][McGowen 2005, p. 159.]
;AH-1F: 143 production aircraft and 387 converted AH-1G Cobras. The AH-1F incorporates all Step 1 and 2 upgrades to the AH-1S. It also featured Step 3 upgrades: a head-up display, a laser rangefinder, an infrared jammer mounted above the engine exhaust, and an infrared suppressing engine exhaust system, and the M143 Air Data Subsystem (ADS). The AH-1F is also referred to as the "Modernized AH-1S", "AH-1S Modernized Cobra", or "AH-1S(MC)" prior to 1988.
;Model 249: Experimental demonstrator version fitted with the four-blade rotor system from Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.
Design and development
Development began in the ...
, an uprated engine, and experimental equipment, including Hellfire missiles.
;Bell 309 KingCobra
The Bell Model 309 KingCobra was an experimental attack helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter, based on the Bell AH-1 Cobra.
Design and development
Background
The AH-1 Cobra was developed in the mid-1960s as an interim gunship for the U.S. A ...
: Experimental all-weather version based on the AH-1G single-engine and AH-1J twin-engine designs. Two Bell 309s were produced; the first was powered by a PW&C T400-CP-400 Twin-Pac engine set and the second was powered by a Lycoming T-55-L-7C engine.
Twin-engine
Operators
A small number of former military helicopters are operated by civil organizations for display and demonstration, for example by Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...
.
;
* Bahrain Air Force
The Royal Bahraini Air Force ( ar, سلاح الجو الملكي البحريني, abbreviated as RBAF, formerly known as Bahrain Amiri Air Force) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF). Originally formed as the BDF Ai ...
;
* Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
;
* Royal Jordanian Air Force
The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; ar, سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, Silāḥ ul-Jawu al-Malakī 'al-Urdunī) is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces.
History
Early days
Jordan gained independence in 19 ...
;
* Kenya Air Force
The Kenya Air Force (KAF) or sw, Jeshi la Wanahewa is the national aerial warfare service branch of the Republic of Kenya.
The main airbase operating fighters is Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is the he ...
;
* Pakistan Air Force
* Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
;
* Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
;
* Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ko, 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國 陸軍; RR: ''Daehanminguk Yuk-gun''), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the l ...
;
* Royal Thai Army
The Royal Thai Army or RTA ( th, กองทัพบกไทย; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
History
Origin
The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's so ...
;
* Turkish Army
The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: ), is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the ...
;
* Florida Department of Forestry
* U.S. Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...
Former Operators
;
* Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
[
;
* ]Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
["World Military Aircraft Inventory". ''2014 Aerospace Source Book''. Aviation Week and Space Technology, January 2014.]
;
* U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
* Washington State Department of Natural Resources
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over of forest, range, agricultural, and commercial lands in the U.S. state of Washington. The DNR also manages of aquatic areas which include shorelines, tidelands, lands und ...
Aircraft on display
Specifications (AH-1G HueyCobra)
Notable appearances in media
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
AH-1 Cobra page on GlobalSecurity.org
AH-1 HueyCobra page on Rotorhead.org
End of an era for Fort Drum's Cobras.
Aircraft Training Manual, Attack Helicopter, AH-1 (TC 1-213), 1992
{{Authority control
H-001, A
Bell AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake.
The A ...
Bell AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake.
The A ...
Bell AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake.
The A ...
Gunships
Single-turbine helicopters
Aircraft first flown in 1965
Attack helicopters
Military equipment of the Vietnam War