Bell AH-1 SuperCobra

The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engined attack helicopter developed on behalf of, and primarily operated by, the United States Marine Corps. The twin Cobra family, itself part of the larger Huey family, includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra and the AH-1W SuperCobra. It was derived from the single-engined AH-1 Cobra, which had been developed in the mid-1960s as an interim gunship for the Army, because the Marines wanted a twin-engined arrangement for greater safety at sea along with more capable armaments. The AH-1T was produced in the 1970s with the dynamic systems of the Model 309 and a lengthened fuselage, and the AH-1W commenced delivery in March 1986, eventually totalling 179 new-built helicopters along with the upgrade of 43 existing AH-1Ts. The Marine Corps withdrew its last AH-1Ws in October 2020 in favor of the AH-1Z.