AH-1W

AH-1W

Manufactured by Bell Helicopter.

Primary Armament: 20mm M-197 cannon, 2.75" rockets, 5" rockets, TOW missiles, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 20mm gun pods.

Propulsion: Two GE T700-GE-401 engines.

Crew: Two

Marines have been flying the AH-1W since 1986. The last AH-1W was delivered in 1998. The AH-1W was replaced by the AH-1Z, beginning in 2006. The last AH-1W was replaced in 2020. AH-1W aircraft were operated by the U.S. Marine Corps and assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadrons alongside the UH-1N.

AH-1W "Super Cobra" attack helicopters form the backbone of the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) as on-call Close Air Support platforms. The AH-1W also served as ground attack coordination and fire direction for fixed wing attack aircraft and artillery.

The AH-1W was the first attack helicopter to carry and fire the AIM-9 Sidewinder and the AGM-122A Sidearm missiles.