The AH-1Z “Viper” is the latest (and last?) development of Bell’s Cobra helicopter gunship which first appeared in the mid-1960s. At first, the single-engine Cobra was a U.S. Army weapon, but soon, twin-engine Cobras became the standard in the U.S. Marine Corps. The Army moved on to the AH-64 Apache, but the Marines stayed with the Cobra.
The first two new U.S.-made AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters for the Czech Republic have been delivered to the country. Their arrival comes as the Czech Republic’s aging Soviet-era Mi-24/Mi-35 attack helicopters are set to be retired from service in September, with four of these already having been delivered to Ukraine, and more set to followBell AH-1Z Viper - Most Advanced Attack Helicopter in the WorldBell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed a
Inder Singh Bisht February 2, 2022. 1 minute read. A US Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper helicopter fired a Lockheed Martin joint air-to-ground missile (JAGM) at land targets recently as part of the weapon’s continuous evaluation. Eight shots were fired at armored and semi-armored vehicles in various scenarios, the service revealed.
On 30 April 2020, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced it had received U.S. State Department approval and notified Congress of a possible sale to the Philippines of either six AH-1Z attack helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $450 million or six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and related equipment for
The U.S. approved the sale of 12 AH-1Z Viper helicopters to Bahrain in April 2018 at an estimated cost of $911.4 million including missiles and related equipment. The contract modification announced on Thursday, February 7 awards Bell $240,266,448 million in foreign military sales for 12 Lot 16 aircraft. Work is expected to be complete in
August 2018 - Bell Helicopters has received an award totaling $510 million to build twenty-nine new AH-1Z Viper model attack helicopters for the United States Marine Corps. November 2018 - Bahrain has confirmed an order for twelve Viper attack helicopters. December 2018 - The Viper is a contender for a Japanese attack helicopter requirement.
The Bell AH-1Z Viper: The Most Advanced Attack Helicopter on the Planet.The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobr
OPTIONAL (Mission Specific): 4 hardpoints for 4,230 lb of externally-held ordnance including rocket pods, up to 16 x AT-6 "Spiral" anti-armor / anti-tank air-to-surface missiles, and gun pods / cannon pods as needed. STANDARD: 1 x 20mm M196 three-barreled Gatling-style cannon in powered chin turret. OPTIONAL:
The Philippines is also one of several countries approved by the US to sell AH-64E helicopters. The US State Department has approved the ability to sell the Philippines 6 Bell AH-1Z Viper and 6 AH-64E Guardian. A batch of 6 Vipers and related equipment costs up to $450 million while the AH-64E batch costs up to $1.5 billion.
The AH-1J was ultimately supplanted in USMC service by the AH-1W. Twin-engined Cobras saw combat service during the 1991 Gulf War in the tank-killing role as well as the American-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq during the 2000s. While the AH-1W remains the standard attack helicopter for the USMC, it is being replaced by the incoming AH-1ZktY2EG.