AH-1W/4BW SUPERCOBRA

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UPGRADE PROGRAMME

The Bell SuperCobra is currently in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase of a major upgrade known as the H-1 Program. The programme calls for the remanufacture of the US Marine Corps fleet of AH-1W SuperCobra and UH-1N utility helicopters to an advanced four bladed configuration.

The existing two-bladed semi- rigid, teetering rotor system is replaced with a four-bladed, hingeless, bearingless rotor system. First flight of the AH-1W (4BW) is scheduled for October 2000, with the UH-1N (4BN) flight a month later. Deliveries to the USMC will begin in 2003.

The improvement in flight characteristics provided by the four bladed configuration has led to increases in flight envelope, maximum speed, vertical rate-of-climb, payload and rotor vibration level.

NIGHT TARGETING SYSTEM

A key part of the US Marine SuperCobra upgrade programme is the installation of the Night Targeting System (NTS) jointly produced by Tamam Division of Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd and Kollsman. NTS is currently being fitted to USMC SuperCobras.

NTS integrates a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) which provides automatic target tracking with a laser designator/rangefinder and video recorder. The SuperCobra can also carry out designation of targets for all NATO aircraft equipped with laser-guided weapons. The development of a SuperCobra Airborne Target Handover System, that works in conjunction with other aircraft is underway.

MISSILES

The SuperCobra can carry both TOW and Hellfire anti-armour missiles. A programme to qualify the helicopter to carry the Maverick missile is progressing. The BGM-71 TOW missile from Hughes has a range of more than 3 km, speed greater than 1000 km/hour and a semi-automatic command to line of sight guidance.

The AGM-114 Hellfire missile is manufactured by Boeing (formerly Rockwell) and Lockheed Martin. The missile is equipped with a semi-active laser seeker and has a range of 7 km. The SuperCobra has fire-and-forget capability when firing the Hellfire missile in cooperative mode with laser target illumination.

AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-surface missile by Hughes supersonic speed and range between 25 and 50 kilometres. The family of Maverick missiles have been developed with a range of guidance systems: electro-optical, infrared, laser and millimetric guidance. The SuperCobra was the first attack helicopter to qualify both the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and the Sidearm anti-radiation missile. Both missiles can use the same LAU-7 rail launcher.

Sidearm has a speed over Mach 2 and range of more than 15 km. The AIM-9L Sidewinder is an all-aspect short range air-to-air missile allows the helicopter to engage hostile aircraft from the front instead of needing a stern approach to lock on to the target. It is produced by Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Hughes. The missile has a range up to 15 km and speed higher than Mach 2.

ROCKETS

The SuperCobra can also fire a range of rockets, for example 70 mm rockets armed with submunition warheads or the larger 12.7 cm Zuni rockets bombs.

GUN

The SuperCobra carries a three-barrel 20mm Gatling gun for close range ( up to 2 km) engagement. The gun has 750 rounds of ammunition. With the gun in a fixed forward position, the pilot can aim by manoeuvring the helicopter. Either crew member can slave the turret to the helmet-mounted sight, and aim the gun by looking at the target.

COUNTERMEASURES

The H1 SuperCobra upgrade includes provision of a new electronic warfare suite. A new radar warner, the AN/APR-39(XE2) from Lockheed Martin replaces the Lockheed Martin AN/APR-39(V)2 pulse radar warner and the AEL Industries AN/APR-44 continuous wave radar warner previously fitted. A missile warning system, the AN/AAR-47 has been included in the upgrade suite. AN/AAR-47 is dual sourced by Alliant Defence Electronics (formerly Hercules) and Lockheed Martin.

The AN/AAR-47 uses passive electro-optical detectors to detect the missile plume. A laser warning receiver has been added, the AN/AVR-2A developed by Hughes Danbury Optical Systems. The infrared countermeasures system on the SuperCobra is the AN/ALQ- 144(V) developed by Sanders, a Lockheed Martin company. The helicopter is equipped with the AN/ALE-39 chaff and infrared flare dispenser manufactured by Tracor and Lockheed Martin Tactical Defence Systems.

COCKPIT

The helicopter is manned by a crew of two. The cockpit is fitted with a head up display (HUD) by Kaiser Electronics and ANVIS night vision goggles from Elbit Ltd. A new Òglass cockpitÓ has been developed for the SuperCobra featuring two large area multipurpose colour displays fitted with touch control buttons on each of the four sides. The cockpit is fitted with a digital map and displays for the avionics and mission equipment including an advanced mission computer and weapons management system.

ENGINES

The Bell SuperCobra has a very high power-to-weight ratio. Twin General Electric T700-GE-401 turboshaft engines provide a total of 2,410 kw or 3,380 shp (shaft horsepower). In standard conditions, with an air-to-air ordnance load the SuperCobra can take off and climb out at more than 4.1 m/sec (800 ft/min) on only one engine. It can hover Out of Ground Effect (OGE) at 914 m (3,000 ft) with a combat load of four TOW and four Hellfire missiles, full turret ammunition and rockets.

DEPLOYMENT

During the Gulf War in 1991 the United States Marine Corps crew and their AH-lW SuperCobras destroyed 97 tanks, 104 armoured personnel carriers and vehicles, 16 bunkers and two anti-aircraft artillery sites.

The SuperCobra AH-1W is the US marines attack Helicopter	The H-1 program is for the remanufacture of the US marine Corps AH-1W SuperCobra and the UH-1N utility helicopters
SuperCobra AH-1W is amongst the world's most versatile Attack Helicopters	SuperCobra AH-1W Attack Helicopters on Patrol
SuperCobra firing the laser guided AGM-114 Hellfire missiles	A new glass cockpit has been developed for the SuperCobra
Bell Helicopter has completed 110 flight test hours on a 4 bladed SuperCobra AH-1W	SuperCobra firing the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles