AH-1 SuperCobra - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

For an overview of the whole Huey family of aircraft, see Bell Huey
Bell Huey
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 and ranges from the XH-40 prototype, first flown in...

The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engine attack helicopter

Attack helicopter

An attack helicopter is a military helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the capability of engaging targets on the ground, such as enemy infantry and armored vehicles...

based on the US Army's AH-1 Cobra

AH-1 Cobra

The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...

. The twin Cobra family includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra, and the AH-1W SuperCobra. The AH-1W is the backbone of the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

's attack helicopter fleet, but will be replaced in service by the Bell AH-1Z Viper upgrade

H-1 upgrade program

The H-1 upgrade program refers to the United States Marine Corps's program to develop the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom to replace its aging fleets of AH-1W SuperCobras and UH-1N Twin Hueys. The former is a twin-engine attack helicopter, while the latter is a medium-sized utility helicopter, also...

Design and development

The AH-1 Cobra was developed in the mid-1960s as an interim gunship for the U.S. Army for use in Vietnam. The Cobra shared the proven transmission, rotor system, and the T53 turboshaft engine of the UH-1 "Huey"

UH-1 Iroquois

The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...

. By June 1967, the first AH-1G HueyCobras had been delivered. 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 U.S. Marine Corps was very interested in the AH-1G Cobra, but preferred a twin-engine version for improved safety in over-water operations, and also wanted a more potent turret-mounted weapon. At first, the Department of Defense had balked at providing the Marines with a twin-engine version of the Cobra, in the belief that commonality with Army AH-1Gs outweighed the advantages of a different engine fit. However, the Marines won out and awarded Bell a contract for 49 twin-engine AH-1J SeaCobras in May 1968. As an interim measure, the U.S. Army passed on 38 AH-1Gs to the Marines in 1969. The AH-1J also received a more powerful gun turret. It featured a three barrel 20 mm XM197

M197 Gatling gun

The M197 electric cannon is a three-barreled electric Gatling gun developed primarily for use by United States Army helicopter gunships.Development of the M197 began in 1967 after experience in the Vietnam War revealed the inadequacy of the 7.62 mm Minigun for gunship use...

cannon that was based on the six barrel M61 Vulcan

M61 Vulcan

The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft...

cannon.

The Marine Corps requested greater load carrying capability in high temperatures for the Cobra in the 1970s. Bell used systems from its Model 309

Bell 309

|-See also:-References:* Verier, Mike. Bell AH-1 Cobra. Osprey Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-85045-934-6.-External links:*...

to develop the AH-1T. This version had a lengthened tailboom and fuselage with an upgraded transmission and engines from the 309. Bell designed the AH-1T to be more reliable and easier to maintain in the field. The version was given full TOW missile capability with targeting system and other sensors. An advanced version, known as the AH-1T+ with more powerful T700-GE-700 engines and advanced avionics was proposed to Iran in the late 1970s, but the overthrow of the Shah of Iran resulted in the sale being canceled.

In the early 1980s, the U.S. Marine Corps sought a new navalized helicopter, but was denied funding to buy the AH-64 Apache

AH-64 Apache

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...

by Congress in 1981. The Marines in turn pursued a more powerful version of the AH-1T. Other changes included modified fire control systems to carry and fire AIM-9 Sidewinder

AIM-9 Sidewinder

The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...

and AGM-114 Hellfire

AGM-114 Hellfire

The AGM-114 Hellfire is an air-to-surface missile developed primarily for anti-armor use. It has multi-mission, multi-target precision-strike capability, and can be launched from multiple air, sea, and ground platforms. The Hellfire missile is the primary 100 lb-class air-to-ground precision...

missiles. The new version was funded by Congress and received the AH-1W designation. Deliveries of AH-1W SuperCobras totaled 179 new-built helicopters plus 43 upgrades of AH-1Ts.

The AH-1T+ demonstrator and AH-1W prototype was later tested with a new experimental composite four blade main rotor system. The new system offered better performance, reduced noise and improved battle damage tolerance. Lacking a USMC contract, Bell developed this new design into the AH-1Z with its own funds. By 1996, the Marines were again not allowed to order the AH-64. Developing a marine version of the Apache would have been expensive and it was likely that the Marine Corps would be its only customer. They instead signed a contract for upgrading

H-1 upgrade program

180 AH-1Ws into AH-1Zs.

The AH-1Z Viper

AH-1Z Viper

The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, that was developed for the United States Marine Corps. The AH-1Z features a four-blade, bearingless, composite main rotor system, uprated transmission, and a new target sighting system. The AH-1Z is part of the...

features several design changes. The AH-1Z's two redesigned wing stubs are longer with each adding a wing-tip station for a missile such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder

AIM-9 Sidewinder

. Each wing has two other stations for 70 mm (2.75 in) Hydra rocket pods, or AGM-114 Hellfire

AGM-114 Hellfire

quad missile launcher. The Longbow radar can be mounted on a wing tip station.

United States

During the closing months of the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

, the Marine Corps embarked the AH-1J SeaCobra assigned to HMA-369 (now HMLA-369) aboard the USS Denver (LPD-9)

USS Denver (LPD-9)

USS Denver , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, is the third ship of United States Navy to bear this name. Denver’s keel was laid 7 July 1964 at Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington. She was launched 23 January 1965, christened by Mrs. John A...

, USS Cleveland (LPD-7)

USS Cleveland (LPD-7)

USS Cleveland , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city in Ohio. Her keel was laid down at Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was launched on 7 May 1966, and was commissioned on 21 April 1967 at Norfolk,...

, and later the USS Dubuque (LPD-8)

USS Dubuque (LPD-8)

USS Dubuque , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Dubuque, Iowa....

, for sea-based interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in North Vietnam in the vicinity of Hon La (Tiger) Island. These were termed Marine Hunter-Killer (MARHUK) Operations and lasted from June to December 1972.

Marine Cobras took part in the invasion of Grenada, during Operation Urgent Fury in 1983, flying close-support and helicopter escort missions. Two Marine AH-1Ts were shot down and three crew members killed. The Marines also deployed the AH-1 off the coast of Beirut

Beirut

Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...

, Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

in 1983, during that nation's civil war

Lebanese Civil War

The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...

. The AH-1s were armed with Sidewinder missiles and guns as an emergency air defense measure against the threat of light civil aircraft employed by suicide bombers.

USMC Cobras provided escort in the Persian Gulf in the late 1980s while the Iran–Iraq War was ongoing. The Cobras sank three Iranian patrol boats while losing one AH-1T to Iranian anti-aircraft fire. USMC Cobras from the USS Saipan (LHA-2)

USS Saipan (LHA-2)

USS Saipan is a , the second United States Navy ship named in honor of the World War II Battle of Saipan.-History:Saipan was laid down on July 21, 1972 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division, Litton Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi; launched on July 20, 1974; sponsored by Mrs. J...

flew "top cover" during an evacuation of American and other foreign nationals from Liberia in 1990.

During the Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

, 78 Marine SuperCobras deployed, and flew a total of 1,273 sorties in Iraq with no combat losses. However, three AH-1s were lost to accidents during and after the combat operations. The AH-1W units were credited with destroying 97 tanks, 104 armored personal carriers and vehicles, and two anti-aircraft artillery sites during the 100-hour ground campaign.

Marine Cobras provided support for the US humanitarian intervention in Somalia, during Operation Restore Hope in 1992-1993. They were also employed during the U.S. invasion of Haiti

Operation Uphold Democracy

Operation Uphold Democracy was an intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide...

in 1994. USMC Cobras were used in U.S. military interventions in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and assisted in the rescue of USAF Captain Scott O'Grady

Scott O'Grady

Scott Francis O'Grady is a former USAF Captain and former United States Air Force fighter pilot who gained prominence after the June 2, 1995 Mrkonjić Grad incident, in which he ejected over Bosnia when his F-16C was shot down by a Bosnian Serb SA-6 while he was patrolling the no-fly zone...

, after his F-16 was shot down

Mrkonjic Grad incident

The Mrkonjić Grad incident was the shooting down of a United States Air Force F-16C by a Bosnian Serb Army SA-6 surface-to-air missile near Mrkonjić Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on June 2, 1995...

by a SAM in June 1995.

AH-1 Cobras continue to operate with the U.S. Marine Corps. USMC Cobras were also used in operations throughout the 1990s. USMC Cobras have also served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and in Operation Iraqi Freedom in the ongoing conflict in Iraq. While new replacement aircraft were considered as an alternative to major upgrades of the AH-1 fleet, Marine Corps studies showed that an upgrade was the most affordable, most supportable and most effective solution for the Marine Corps light attack helicopter mission.

On 19 September 2011, an AH-1W crashed during training exercises at Camp Pendleton, California, killing the two Marine crew members onboard.

Iran

In 1971, Iran purchased 202 improved AH-1J Cobras, with the name "AH-IJ International", from the United States. This improved Cobra, known as the AH-1J International, resulted from this contract featured an uprated P&WC T400-WV-402 engine and stronger drivetrain. Recoil damping gear was fitted to the 20mm gun turret, and the gunner was given a stabilized sight and even a stabilized chair. 62 of the International AH-1Js delivered to the Shah's forces were TOW-capable, while the rest were not.

They participated in the Iran–Iraq War. Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

ian AH-1J SeaCobras engaged in air combat with Iraqi Mi-24s on several separate occasions during the war. The results of these engagements are disputed. One document cited that "Iranian AH-1Js engaged Iraqi MI-8 Hip and MI-24 Hind helicopters. Unclassified sources report that the Iranian AH-1 pilots achieved a 10:1 kill ratio over the Iraqi helicopter pilots during these engagements (1:5). Additionally, Iranian AH-1 and Iraqi fixed-wing aircraft engagements also occurred. Others claim that in the entire eight-year conflict, ten Iranian AH-1Js were lost in combat, compared to six Iraqi Mi-24s. The skirmishes are described as fairly evenly matched in another source. In 1988, two Soviet MiG-23s shot down a pair of Iranian AH-1Js that had strayed into western Afghan airspace. Iranian AH-1Js are still operating today and have undergone indigenous upgrade programs.

Turkey

Turkey bought ten AH-1W SuperCobras in the early 1990s, and supplemented this fleet with 32 ex-US Army AH-1 Cobras. AH-1Ws have been used in the war against the Kurdistan Workers' Party

Kurdistan Workers' Party

The Kurdistan Workers' Party , commonly known as PKK, also known as KGK and formerly known as KADEK or KONGRA-GEL , is a Kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish state for an autonomous Kurdistan and greater cultural and political rights...

(PKK). In 2011 Turkey is seeking to buy requested three AH-1Ws from the USMC inventory.

Single-engine

For AH-1G, AH-1Q through AH-1S/P/E/F and other single-engine variants, see Bell AH-1 Cobra.

Twin-engine

AH-1J SeaCobra: Original twin engine version.
AH-1J International: Export version of the AH-1J SeaCobra.
AH-1T Improved SeaCobra: Improved version with extended tailboom and fuselage and an upgraded transmission and engines.
AH-1W SuperCobra: ("Whiskey Cobra"), day/night version with more powerful engines and advanced weapons capability.
AH-1(4B)W Viper: "Four-Bladed Whiskey" test version with a 4-bladed bearingless composite main rotor based on Bell 680 rotor. A prototype was converted from AH-1T 161022.
AH-1Z Viper: A new variant nicknamed "Zulu Cobra", and developed in conjunction with the UH-1Y Venom for the H-1 upgrade program

H-1 upgrade program

. The variant includes an upgraded 4-blade main rotor and adds the Night Targeting System (NTS).

Model 309 King Cobra

Bell 309

|-See also:-References:* Verier, Mike. Bell AH-1 Cobra. Osprey Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-85045-934-6.-External links:*...

: Experimental version. One of two 309s was powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada T400-CP-400

Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6

The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 is one of the most popular turboprop aircraft engines in history, and is produced by Pratt & Whitney Canada. The PT6 family is particularly well known for its extremely high reliability, with MTBO's on the order of 9000 hours in some models. In US military use, they...

twin engine system, as later used on AH-1J.
CobraVenom: Proposed version for the United Kingdom.
AH-1RO Dracula: Proposed version for Romania.
AH-1Z King Cobra: AH-1Z offered under Turkey's ATAK program; selected for production in 2000, but later canceled when Bell and Turkey could not reach an agreement on production.
Panha 2091

Panha 2091

-See also:...

: Unlicensed Iranian upgrade of the AH-1J International.

Operators

Imperial Iranian Army received 202 AH-1J Internationals from 1975-78.
Islamic Republic of Iran Army
Islamic Republic of Iran Army
The Islamic Republic of Iran Army is the ground force of the Military of Islamic Republic of Iran. In Iran, it is also called Artesh, which is Persian for "army." As of 2007, the regular Iranian Army was estimated to have 465,000 personnel plus around 350,000 reservists for a total of 815,000...

operated 50 AH-1Js as of November 2008. An unknown number of the Panha 2091
Panha 2091
-See also:...

, an unlicensed, indigenous upgrade of AH-1J International, serve with the Army and Revolutionary Guards.

Republic of China Army
Republic of China Army
The ROC Army's current operational strength includes 3 armies, 5 corps. As of 2005, the Army's 35 brigades include 25 infantry brigades, 5 armoured brigades and 3 mechanized infantry brigades...

received 63 AH-1Ws in 1990s, and had 59 AH-1Ws in service as of 2010.

Republic of Korea Army
Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...

received 8 AH-1J Cobras in 1978. It has 3 AH-1Js in use as of January 2010.

Turkish Army
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...

received 10 AH-1W Super Cobras in 1990s. It has 7 AH-1Ws in use as of January 2010.

United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

has 167 AH-1Ws in use as of 2010.
- HMLA-167
  HMLA-167
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1N Huey utility helicopters...
  
  , MCAS New River
- HMLA-169
  HMLA-169
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1Y Huey utility helicopters...
  
  , MCAS Camp Pendleton
- HMLA-267
  HMLA-267
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1Y Huey utility helicopters...
  
  , MCAS Camp Pendleton
- HMLA-269
  HMLA-269
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1N Huey utility helicopters...
  
  , MCAS New River
- HMLA-367
  HMLA-367
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters, AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters...
  
  , MCAS Camp Pendleton
- HMLA-369
  HMLA-369
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1Y Huey utility helicopters...
  
  , MCAS Camp Pendleton
- HMLA-467
  HMLA-467
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 467 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1N Twin Huey utility helicopters...
  
  , MCAS Cherry Point
- HMLA-469
  HMLA-469
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine...
  
  , MCAS Camp Pendleton
- HMLA-773
  HMLA-773
  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1N Huey utility helicopters. The squadron is based at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 49 ...
  
  , NAS Atlanta
- HMLAT-303
  HMLAT-303
  Marine Light Attack Training Squadron 303 , is a United States Marine Corps helicopter training squadron stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Known as the "Atlas", HMT-303 trains newly commissioned Naval Aviators, conversion pilots, refresher pilots, and enlisted aircrew on...
  
  , MCAS Camp Pendleton
United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

used 7 AH-1Ws for test and evaluation purposes on behalf of the USMC.

AH-1J SeaCobra

AH-1W SuperCobra

External links

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