The Bell AH-1 Cobra

The Bell AH-1 Cobra, “Snake”, was the world’s first specifically designed armed attack helicopter. During the Vietnam War, the need for a gunship to protect unarmed helicopters quickly became apparent, when many were lost to ground fire. First deployed to Vietnam in September 1967, it has seen action during the invasions of Granada and Panama and in Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. The Army removed the Cobra from active service in 1999., The AH-1 used to fight forrest fires for the United States Forrest Service. Other countries that currently utilize the AH-1 aircraft are Bahrain, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey., Crew: (2) pilot rear seat, gunner front seat, Speed: 175 mph, Weight: 14,750lbs, Max., Range: 395 miles, Length: 58 ft., Width: 38 in., Armament: chin-mounted 20 mm cannon, 8 Tow missiles, 19-shot 70mm rocket pods, wing mount rockets, cluster munitions, napalm, stinger missiles, and mini gun.