{
  "id": "ah-1w-super-cobra",
  "name": "AH-1W Super Cobra",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "air",
  "country": "USA",
  "category": "Attack helicopter",
  "status": null,
  "fielded": 1986,
  "operators": [
    "CHN",
    "IRN",
    "TUR",
    "TWN",
    "USA"
  ],
  "prolif_count": 6,
  "summary": "The AH-1W, the backbone of the United States Marine Corps. Marines have been flying the AH-1W Super Cobra since 1986.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Manufacturer",
      "section": "system",
      "v": "Bell Helicopter",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Crew",
      "section": "system",
      "v": "two: pilot, co-pilot/gunner",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Hardpoints",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "4 ea",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "height_m",
      "v": 4.32,
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 4600,
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Empty weight"
    },
    {
      "k": "engine_name",
      "v": "2 x General Electric T700-GE-401 turboshafts",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Thrust / power",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "1725 hp for each engine",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "ceiling_m",
      "v": 3720,
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Rate of climb",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "8.2 m/s",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Endurance",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "3 hours",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Fire Control Radar",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Yes, type INA",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Sensor Suite(s) Available",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Yes, low speed air data sensor",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "TV Camera",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Low-light TV camera",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Thermal Sights",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "thermal sights and a FLIR to allow for acquisition, launch, and tracking of all types of TOW missiles in all weather conditions",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Navigation",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Doppler navigation",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "NBC Protection",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "Yes",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Counter Measures (Chaff/Flares)",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "AN/ALE-39 Chaff system and SUU-4/1 Flare dispensers",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Wing Mounted Weapons: additional weapons the ah-1h can carry",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "8 x AGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles; or 2 x AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radar missiles; or 8 x AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles; or 4 x CMU-55B fuel-air explosive weapons; or 16 x 5-in (127-mm) Zuni rockets; or 4 x 78 gal (295-liter) auxiliary fuel tanks; or 2 x…",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Rockets and Bombs",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "The SuperCobra can also carry various pods with unguided rockets, cluster munitions, napalm bombs",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "armament",
      "v": "1 x M61 Vulcan; AGM-114 Hellfire; AIM-9 Sidewinder",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [
    {
      "name": "1 x M61 Vulcan",
      "role": "Hydraulically, electrically or pneumatically driven, six-barrel, air-c",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Hydraulically, electrically or pneumatically driven, six-barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatl",
        "Caliber": "20 mm"
      },
      "qty": "750 round"
    },
    {
      "name": "AGM-114 Hellfire",
      "role": "Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM)",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM)",
        "Guidance": "Semi-active laser homing millimeter wave radar seeker",
        "Warhead": "High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT)",
        "Speed": "Mach 1.3",
        "Length": "1.6 m"
      },
      "range_km": [
        0,
        11
      ],
      "qty": "4 ea, one on each hardpoint ea"
    },
    {
      "name": "AIM-9 Sidewinder",
      "role": "short-range air-to-air missile",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "short-range air-to-air missile",
        "Guidance": "Infrared homing (most models) semi-active radar homing (AIM-9C",
        "Warhead": "WDU-17/B annular blast-frag",
        "Warhead weight": "9.4 kg",
        "Speed": "Mach 2.5",
        "Length": "3.02 m"
      },
      "range_km": [
        1,
        35
      ],
      "qty": "4 ea, one on each hardpoint"
    }
  ],
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "AH-1J SeaCobra",
      "text": "Original twin engine version.",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "AH-1J International",
      "text": "Export version of the AH-1J SeaCobra.",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "AH-1T Improved SeaCobra",
      "text": "Improved version with extended tail boom and fuselage and an upgraded transmission and engines.",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "AH-1(4B)W Viper",
      "text": "\"Four-Bladed Whiskey\" test version with a four-bladed bearingless composite main rotor based on Bell 680 rotor. A prototype was converted from AH-1T 161022.",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "AH-1Z Viper",
      "text": "A new variant nicknamed \"Zulu Cobra\", and developed in conjunction with the UH-1Y Venom for the H-1 upgrade program. The variant includes an upgraded four-blade main rotor and adds the Target Sight System (TSS).",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Bell 309 KingCobra",
      "text": "Experimental all-weather version based on the AH-1G single-engine and AH-1J twin-engine designs.[36] Two Bell 309s were produced; the first was powered by a PW&C T400-CP-400 Twin-Pac engine set and the second was powered by a Lycoming T-55-L-7C engine.",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "CobraVenom",
      "text": "Proposed version for the United Kingdom.",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "AH-1Z King Cobra",
      "text": "AH-1Z offered for Turkey's ATAK program; selected for production in 2000, but later canceled when Bell and Turkey could not reach an agreement on production.",
      "src": [
        "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "art": "helicopter",
  "image": {
    "file": "ah-1w-super-cobra.jpg",
    "thumb": "ah-1w-super-cobra-thumb.jpg",
    "credit": "廢柴老闆",
    "license": "CC0",
    "url": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AH-1W(540)%E8%B6%85%E7%B4%9A%E7%9C%BC%E9%8F%A1%E8%9B%87%E6%94%BB%E6%93%8A%E7%9B%B4%E5%8D%87%E6%A9%9F.jpg",
    "title": "File:AH-1W(540)超級眼鏡蛇攻擊直升機.jpg"
  },
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Added photo (CC0)"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/ah-1w-super-cobra.html",
  "sources": {
    "weg-ah-1w-super-cobra": {
      "title": "AH-1W Super Cobra American Attack Helicopter",
      "publisher": "U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)",
      "url": "https://odin.t2com.army.mil/WEG/Asset/AH-1W_Super_Cobra_American_Attack_Helicopter",
      "published": "2026-03-20",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-10-10"
    }
  }
}