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The AH-1 Cobra is an attack helicopter manufactured by Bell. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 "Huey". It is also sometimes referred to as the "HueyCobra" or "Snake".

The AH-1 was once the backbone of the United States Army's attack helicopter fleet, but has been replaced by the AH-64 Apache in Army service. Upgraded versions continue to fly with the United States Army National Guard and several other users.

Development

Closely related with the development of the Bell AH-1 is the story of the Bell UH-1 — predecessor of the modern helicopter, icon of the Vietnam War and still one of the most numerous helicopter types in service today.

Bell's XH-40 prototype first flew on 22 October 1956 and entered production in the same year as the HU-1A. The "HU" designation spawned the famous "Huey" nickname, although the re-alignment of US service designations in 1962 changed it into the familiar UH-1. The UH-1 made the theory of air cavalry 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 battles, and they would not stay and hold positions. Instead, the plan was that the troops carried by fleets of Hueys would range across the country, to fight the enemy at times and places of their own choice.

It soon became clear that the unarmed UH-1 troop helicopters were vulnerable against ground fire from Việt Cộng and NVA troops, particularly as they came down to drop their troops in a landing zone. Without friendly support from artillery or ground forces, the only way to pacify a landing zone was from the air, preferably with a machine that could closely escort the transport helicopters, and loiter over the landing zone as the battle progressed. By 1962 a small number of armed HU-1As (UH-1As) were used as escorts, armed with multiple machineguns and rocket mounts.

The massive expansion of American military presence in Vietnam opened a new era of war from the air. The linchpin of US Army tactics were the helicopters, and the protection of those helicopters became a vital role.

Bell 207 Sioux Scout

File:Bell207.jpg

Bell Model 207 Sioux Scout

In December 1962 Bell had initiated a private venture purpose-built gunship for US forces in Vietnam. The role of this new helicopter was to protect the troopships and to wield a full combat capability of its own. Bell's first design was built around a modified Model 47, leading to the sleek Model 207 Sioux Scout which first flew in July 1963.^[1]

The Sioux Scout had all the key features of a modern helicopter gunship – a tandem cockpit, stub wings for weapons, and a chin-mounted gun turret. After evaluating the Sioux Scout in early 1964, the Army was impressed, but also believed the Sioux Scout was too small, underpowered, unsophisticated, and fragile to be of practical use.^[1]

AAFSS

Army's solution to the shortcomings of the Sioux Scout was to launch the Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) competition.^[1]

The AAFSS requirement would give birth to the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne – a heavy battlefield helicopter that would prove to be over-ambitious, over-complex and over-budget, before being cancelled 10 years later in 1972.^[1] The Cheyenne program developed future technology and demonstrated some impressive performance, but was never made to work as a functional gunship. It served to underline an important rule of the combat helicopter – survival would be ensured only by the right mix of speed, agility and weapons.

Model 209

File:Belln209.jpg

Bell 209 prototype of the AH-1 Cobra series, with skids retracted.

At the same time, despite the Army's preference for the AAFSS – for which Bell Helicopter was not selected to compete – Bell stuck with their own idea of a smaller and lighter gunship.^[1] In January 1965 Bell invested $1 million to proceed with a new design.

Mating the proven transmission, rotor system, and the T53 turboshaft engine of the UH-1 with the design philosophy of the Sioux Scout, Bell produced the Model 209.^[1]

In Vietnam, events were also advancing 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.^[1]

1965 was also the deadline for AAFSS selection, but the program was stuck in technical difficulties and political bickering. The US Army needed an interim gunship for Vietnam and it asked five companies to provide a quick solution. Submissions came in for armed variants of the Boeing-Vertol ACH-47A, Kaman Kaman HH-2C Tomahawk, Piasecki 16H Pathfinder, Sikorsky S-61, and the Bell 209.^[1]

On 3 September 1965 Bell rolled out the prototype, and four days later it made its maiden flight, only eight months from the go-ahead. In April 1966, the Model 209 won an evaluation against the other rival helicopters. Then the US Army signed the first production contract for 110 aircraft.^[1]

Operational history

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.^[1] The AH-1 was initially considered a variant of the H-1 line, resulting in the G series letter.

Bell built 1,116 AH-1Gs for the US Army between 1967 and 1973, and the Cobras chalked up over a million operational hours in Vietnam.^[1]

The AH-1 Cobras were in use by the Army during the Tet offensive in 1968 and through the end of the Vietnam War. During the 1983 invasion of Grenada, the Huey Cobra supported Marine operations on the island.

During Operation Desert Storm, the Cobras and SeaCobras deployed in a support role. Approximately 78 Marine Cobras flew 1,273 sorties with no combat losses and only one noncombat loss.

Cobra helicopter gunships were also used widely by the Israeli Air Force in the 1982 Lebanon War to destroy Syrian armor and fortification. IAF Cobras destroyed dozens of Syrian armored fighting vehicles, including many of the modern Soviet T-72 main battle tanks.

The Pakistan Army has also used the AH-1 as its primary gunship helicopter and has put it to good use during the mid-1970s tribal uprising in Pakistan's Baluchistan province, where donated Iranian AH-1J were used against tribal insurgents. The recent insurgencies in the Waziristan regions has seen Pakistani AH-1s seeing action against Taliban & Al Qaeda fighters and their tribal allies, as well as operations against insurgents in another more recent Baluch tribal uprising recently led by armed Bugti and Marri tribesmen under the late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and the Balochistan Liberation Army since the mid-2000s.

AH-1 Cobras continue to operate with the US military, by the U.S. Marine Corps notably in the ongoing conflict in Iraq. The Marine Corps' stated reasons for contining to use the Cobra is that it is simpler to maintain than the Apache, cheaper, and has a smaller shipboard footprint.

The Israeli Air Force also operates the Cobra as the "Tzefa" (צפע), Hebrew for Viper,^[2] with highly favorable reviews.

Variants

Single-engined:

Model 209: Original prototype with retractable skid landing gear.
AH-1G HueyCobra: Initial 1966 production model gunship for the US Army, with one 1,400shp Avco Lycoming T53-13 turboshaft.
JAH-1G HueyCobra: One helicopter for armament testing.
TH-1G HueyCobra: Two-seat dual-control trainer.^{[verification needed]}
Z.14 HueyCobra: Spanish Navy designation of the AH-1G.
AH-1Q HueyCobra: Equipped with the XM65 TOW/Cobra missile subsystem, M73 Reflex sight, and the Telescoping Sight Unit (TSU). 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.
AH-1S: The baseline AH-1S is an AH-1Q upgraded with a 1,800 shp 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.)
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 20mm 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 did not have the M147 Rocket Management Subsystem (RMS) and were unable to fire 2.75 inch rockets.
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 as well as a return of the M147 RMS, an M143 Air Data Subsystem (ADS), a laser rangefinder and tracker, an infrared jammer mounted above the engine exhaust, and an infrared suppressing engine exhaust system. 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 a four-bladed rotor system, an uprated engine and experimental equipment, including Hellfire missiles.[1]
Bell 309 KingCobra: Experimental version powered by one Lycoming T-55-L-7C engine.

Twin-engined:

For AH-1J through AH-1Z and other twin-engine variants, see AH-1 SuperCobra.

Operators

Current operators

for operators of AH-1J through AH-1Z and other twin-engine variants.

Bahrain

Bahrain Air Force
- AH-1E (12 in use)
- TAH-1P combat trainer (6 in use)

Israel

Israeli Air Force has approx. 50 AH-1S "Tzefa" צפע ("Viper") in use.

Japan

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force received 89 AH-1S licence-manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries.

Jordan

Jordanian Air Force has 33 AH-1F in use.

Pakistan

Pakistan Army
- AH-1S (20 in use)
- AH-1F (38 in use + 20 recently delivered)

South Korea

Republic of Korea Army
- AH-1F (8 delivered. Currently out of service)
- AH-1S (60 delivered)

Thailand

Royal Thai Air Force has 3 AH-1F in use. 7 second hand AH-1Fs were ordered; the deal, however, was later canceled by the US after the September 19, 2006 Coup in Thailand.

Turkey

Turkish Air Force has 32 AH-1P/S delivered, received avionics upgrade along with Improved self-protection suite and IAIA NTS targeting system.

Former operators

Spain

Spanish Navy received 8 AH-1G.

United States

United States Army replaced its AH-1 by AH-64 Apache in the 1990s

Specifications

AH-1G HueyCobra

Data from Modern Military Aircraft^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: 2 - one pilot, one CPG (co-pilot/gunner)
Rotor system: 2 blades

Performance Armament

2 7.62mm multi-barrel Minigun, or 2 40mm Grenade launchers, or 1 of each, in the M28 turret
2.75in (70mm) rockets - 7 rockets mounted in the M158 launcher or 19 rockets in the M200 launcher
M18 7.62 mm Minigun pod or XM35 armament subsystem with XM195 20mm cannon

AH-1F "Modernized" Cobra