The ah-1 Cobra helicopter was a dedicated anti-tank helicopter gunship developed by Bell Helicopters for the U.S. Army in the mid-1960s, when it was also the world's first anti-tank helicopter. Because of its good flight and combat performance and strong firepower, it is widely used by many countries, has endured for a long time, and has been modified several times.
The Bellah-1 Cobra was the world's first purpose-built helicopter gunship, developed in the mid-1960s as an interim solution to the U.S. Army's Vietnam War. But no one would have imagined that this "temporary solution" would continue to evolve and continue to be produced into the 21st century.
The ah-1g established the basic configuration of the successor models of the "Cobra" family, with a highly streamlined fuselage made of honeycomb aluminum and a large number of mouth covers for easy maintenance. A 936-liter self-enclosing fuel tank is installed in the fuselage, and the engine area, fuel system, and hydraulic system are protected by armor. The two crew members were equipped with armored seats, the side armor plates of the seats could be pulled up for better protection, and the gunner was also equipped with organic nose armor in front. Although the Model 209 demonstrator was fitted with bulletproof glass, it was cancelled on the production model due to its excessive weight.
Folding ah-1j "sea cobra, the model 309 "King Cobra" that can be mounted with "Tao" anti-tank missiles led to the birth of the second generation ah-1 "Cobra". The U.S. Marine Corps went further, and their Sea Cobra was equipped with the more powerful Hellfire anti-tank missiles later on. The second generation of "Cobras" appeared widely in the dirty small-scale wars of the Cold War and served in multiple foreign armies, and the Marine Corps' latest AH-1Z made the "Cobra" continue to be active on the front line in the 21st century.
AH-1Q "Tao Cobra": In March 1972, the Army asked Bell to start a "Cobra" weapon improvement project that would increase the launching capacity of the existing AH-1G "Tao" missile. Bell modified 8 AH-1Gs, installed a Bell-Hughes XM26 telescope-type aiming unit in the nose, and mounted 2 M56 "Tao" 4 launchers under the wing. The M56 launcher mounts on short wing outer pylons, which can be used to mount rocket nests or other weapons. The aircraft can also be mounted with a twin "Tao" launcher, but it is rarely used. The number of these 8 "Cobras" was changed to ah-1q.
AH-1S: When the AH-1Q was in service, everyone realized that the aircraft was underpowered and could no longer fly to the ground after mounting heavy 8 Tao missiles. In 1975, the Army launched the Cobra Agility and Mobility Improvement Program to address the problem. Bell installed a high-powered Lycoming T53-L-703 turboshaft engine and a new transmission mechanism on an AH-1G to deliver a maximum power of 1340 kW (1800 shaft horsepower), which was redesignated yah-1r. There is also an ah-1q that has undergone the same modification, numbered ah-1s.
AH-1P: Bell built 100 AH-1P Pottery Cobras, which were delivered to the Army in 1977-1978. The engine power of the ah-1p was further increased, and the new flat cockpit cover was replaced, making the appearance of the ah-1p look like a flying tank, and the flat glass greatly reduced the reflection and was conducive to battlefield concealment. However, the AH-1P is also not equipped with bulletproof glass.
AH-1E: The Army then launched a second phase of the improvement program, known as the AH-1s Cannon Upgrade or the AH-1s Cobra Weapon Enhancement System (abbreviated ah-1s (ECAS)), which was renamed ah-1e in 1988. At that time, the Army's "Cobra" models were still using the old-fashioned TAT-141 turret, and it was impossible to install a high-powered cannon, so the AH-1e was replaced with a universal turret of the Marine Corps AH-1J and a 20 mm M197 cannon.
ah-1f: The third phase is known as the modernized ah-1s or ah-1s modernization "cobra" (abbreviated as (ah-1fah-1s(mc)), and the number was changed to ah-1f in 1988. It was also the last "cobra" of U.S. Army equipment.
In the post-Vietnam War era of the 1970s, the United States relented in foreign military intervention, which was not gradually resumed until the Reagan administration in 1980-1988, and reached its peak in the tide of soviet disintegration in the 1990s. In all military interventions, the "cobra" has been an important weapon of the US military.