Tag Archives: cobra

Vehicle I-D, Cold War & Beyond: Jordanian Cobras الكوبرا الأردني, or How to rebuild your AH-1S/F.

Eager Lion wargame, 14SEP2022. Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh via Xinhua News.

Towards the end of 2021, Jordan donated two of its Cold War era AH-1S/F Cobras to the Philippine Air Force.  The donation actually officially happened in 2018, but the Filipino pilots had been training in Jordan, including becoming AH-1S/F instructors, and were not ready until 2021 (delayed by the Pandemic?).

In 2020, there was a report that Jordan was getting rid of its AH-1S/F Cobras, which is shocking considering they underwent major upgrades in the United States in 2018-19.

U.S. Army photo by Richard Bumgardner, 10APR2019.

Towards the end of 2018, Royal Jordanian AH-1S/F Cobras (Bell 209) began upgrades at Northrop and Science and Engineering Services (aka SES) facilities in Huntsville, Alabama.

USA photo by Richard Bumgardner, 10APR2019.

The upgrades were coordinated through U.S. Army Security Assistance Command.  It is hoped Jordan can use the helicopter gunships for another 20 years. 

USA photo by Richard Bumgardner, 10APR2019.

U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sergeant Joshua L. DeMotts, 17APR2018.

Double trouble. USAF photo by Master Sergeant Joshua L. DeMotts, 17APR2018.

In 2017, there was a report that Jordan was donating AH-1S/F Cobras to the African country of Kenya.

U.S. Army photo by Specialist Ian Valley, 18MAY2016.

U.S. Marine Corps video report, by Lance Corporal Manuel Benavides, Eager Lion wargame, May 2016:

USA photo by Specialist Ian Valley, 18MAY2016.

In 2015, it was revealed that Israel donated U.S. contractor upgraded AH-1 Cobras to Jordan.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Corporal Sean Searfus, 18MAY2015.

U.S. Army photo by Major Brian Fickel, 05JUN2014.

USA photo by Major Brian Fickel, 05JUN2014.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Austin Hazard. 03JUN2014.

USMC photo by Sergeant Austin Hazard. 03JUN2014.

Jordanian Bell AH-1S/F Cobra during Exercise Eager Tiger, May 2014.

U.S. Air Force video, by Technical Sergeant Bryan Magee, Jordanian Cobras arrive, 12MAY2014:

USAF video, by Technical Sergeant Bryan Magee, Jordanian Cobra gunnery, 14MAY2014:

USAF video, by Staff Sergeant Roidan Carlson, Cobras attack, 14MAY2014:

USAF video, by Airman First Class Danny Rangel, infantry support, 14MAY2014:

In 2010, at the behest of the United States government, Jordan donated 16 AH-1S/F Cobras to Pakistan.

Cold War, approximately 1947 (due to U.S. President Harry Truman’s Truman Doctrine) to 1991 (Operation Desert Storm, collapse of Soviet Union).

Despite the sequence of letters, the S variant actually came before the F variant.  During the Cold War, AH-1Q Cobras were upgraded to the AH-1S variant, with at least three additional upgrades which resulted in the AH-1F.

Photo by Staff Sergeant Mike Haggerty, 01AUG1985.

Jordan was one of the first foreign users of the AH-1S/F, beginning in 1985.

Photo by Staff Sergeant Mike Haggerty, 01AUG1985.

Photo by Staff Sergeant Mike Haggerty, 01AUG1985.

Vehicle I-D: Jordan donates IRAQI HUEY, U.S. taxpayers pay for it.

JORDANIAN SHIELD اردني درع

Drunken Cobra Recovery: Pre-Pandemic N95 Mask wearing?

AH-1W (Alpha Hotel-One Wiskey) Super-Cobra.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Corporal Carley Vedro, 17OCT2019.

Checking for booby-traps planted near an abandoned AH-1W Super Cobra.

USMC photo by Corporal Carley Vedro, 17OCT2019.

Aircraft recovery training at Twentynine Palms, California, 17OCT2019.

USMC photo by Corporal Carley Vedro, 17OCT2019.

Interesting, this recovery training took place in October 2019, yet all the Marines in this pic are wearing N95 masks! The information that came with these pics did not explain why they are wearing N95 masks.  N95 masks are not just for medical use, they are also used in various industries for protection against microscopic particles.

USMC photo by Corporal Koby I. Saunders, 09MAY2018.

Recovery ops, Twenty Nine Palms, May 2018.

USMC photo by Corporal Koby I. Saunders, 09MAY2018.

USMC photo by Corporal Koby I. Saunders, 09MAY2018.

USMC photo by Corporal Koby I. Saunders, 09MAY2018.

USMC photo by Corporal Koby I. Saunders, 09MAY2018.

USMC photo by Staff Sergeant Kowshon Ye, 07NOV2017.

Aircraft salvage and recovery/refueling training at Twentynine Palms, 07NOV2017.

Video, Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 373 explains Viper recovery training during Integrated Training eXercise 3-17:

The Super Cobra in this video was the subject of a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel mission (TRAP mission) in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in June 2011.  The AH-1W had one of its two turbines quit working and a new engine was installed.  The video is of the start-up and take-off after the new turbine was installed:

Most U.S. Marine AH-1W Super Cobras were ‘retired’ by the end of 2019, being resurrected as upgraded AH-1Z Vipers.

RECOVERING UH-1 SKELETONS

MIL 17 CRASH & BURN

CH-47 CHINOOK COLLECTS MIL 8 ‘HIP’ BONES

Vehicle I-D: AH-1Z USMC FARP

Marine Wing Support Squadrons (MWSS) refuel a AH-1Z Viper (Cobra) during a Forward Arming Refueling Point (FARP) exercise at Yuma, Arizona, 03 APR 2017:

Pic of AH-1Z Viper-Cobra based in Okinawa, Japan

VEHICLE I-D: NATO GERMANY SHOWS OFF ARMORED FIGHTING VEHICLES, IST KOOL!

NEW HH-60M BLACK HAWK FOR HAWAIIAN MILITIA MEDEVAC