Bell AH-1Z Viper Specs, Speed, Cockpit, and Price

Bell AH-1Z Viper Specs, Speed, Cockpit, and Price – Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter that was developed and produced by Bell Helicopter Textron. The main user of this helicopter is the US Marine Corps (USMC). In addition, AH-1Z also operates with the Turkish Army and the Taiwan Armed Forces. AH-1Z was mobilized to support Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003.

The first flight of AH-1Z took place in December 2000. The first AH-1Z production helicopter was delivered to USMC in January 2007. OPEVAL Phase II began in February 2008, and OPEVAL was completed in October 2010. In November 2010, AH-1Z was approved for full production . The initial operating capability of the Cobra AH-1Z took place in February 2011.

Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter

Bell AH-1Z Viper Specs

The AH-1Z Viper airframe design is based on the AH-1W Super Cobra, which was developed for the United States Marine Corps as part of the H-1 upgrade program. AH-1Z Viper helicopter is equipped with a four-blade, hinge, without bearing rotor system. Improvements in flight characteristics provided by the four-blade configuration have caused an increase in flight envelopes, maximum speed, vertical ascent rate, payload and rotor vibration level.

Bell AH-1Z Viper Engine

The AH-1Z Viper helicopter is powered by the T700-GE-401 Twin General Electric turboshaft engine which provides a total power of 2,410 kW or 3,380 shp. Under standard conditions, with an air-to-air weapon load, the Super Cobra can take off and climb more than 4.1 m / s on only one engine. It can hover off-ground effects (OGE) at 914 m, with a payload of four TOWs and four Hellfire missiles, full tower ammo and rockets.

Maximum speed and cruising AH-1Z Viper helicopter is 388 km / hour and 274 km / hour. This helicopter can ride at a speed of 8.2 m per second. The service range and ceiling are 648 km and 3,720 m, respectively. Maximum helicopter endurance is 3 hours and 30 minutes. The helicopter has a obot of about 4,953 kg and the maximum take-off weight is 6,690 kg.

Bell AH-1Z Viper cockpit

Bell AH-1Z Viper Cockpit and Avionics

The AH-1Z Viper helicopter's cockpit accommodates 2 crew members. Northrop Grumman has developed an integrated avionics system for AH-1Z. This system includes two mission computers and an automatic flight control system with a four axis stability control augmentation system. Each crew station has two 8 in x 6 in. Multifunction screens and one 4.2 in x 4.2 in dual function screen, based on active matrix color technology, liquid crystal.

The communication suite combines the new US Navy RT-1824 integrated radio, UHF / VHF, COMSEC and modem in one unit. The navigation suite includes embedded GPS inertia (EGI) and low-speed air data subsystems, which allow the delivery of weapons while hovering and digital maps.

In June 2002, a display system mounted by the Thales Avionics TopOwl helmet was chosen for USMC AH-1Z. The first system was delivered in January 2003. TopOwl, which was also installed on Tiger, NH90 and Rooivalk helicopters, has integrated the image amplifier and FLIR Gen IV capabilities and provides a transition from day to night use at the push of a button.

Bell AH-1Z Viper engine

Bell AH-1Z Viper Weapons

AH-1Z Viper helicopters can carry TOW and Hellfire anti-armor missiles and are eligible to carry Maverick missiles. The TOW Raytheon BGM-71 missile has a range of more than 3km and a semi-automatic command-to-line-of-sight guide. Hellfire AGM-114 missiles are manufactured by Lockheed Martin. It is equipped with a semi-active laser finder and has a range of 7 km. Super Cobra has the ability of fire-and-forget when firing Hellfire missiles in cooperative mode with laser target lighting.

AH-1Z Viper is the first attack helicopter to qualify both Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and Sidearm anti-radiation missiles. Both missiles can use the same LAU-7 rail launcher. Sidearm has a range of more than 15 km. The AIM-9L Sidewinder is an all-aspect air-to-air missile produced by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The missile has a range of 15 km. The Super Cobra can fire the Hydra family from a directionless 70mm rocket or a larger Zuni 127mm rocket bomb.

AH-1Z Viper carries three-barreled, 20mm Gatling rifles for short distances (up to 2 km) and 750 ammunition. With the gun in a fixed-forward position, the pilot can aim by aiming the helicopter. One crew member can swing the tower into sight mounted on the helmet and aim the gun by looking at the target.

The AH-1Z Viper for USMC will be armed with 16 Hellfire missiles, six Sidewinder AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 70mm rocket pods (seven shots and 19 shots) and 20 mm weapons.

Bell AH-1Z Viper specs

Bell AH-1Z Viper Sensor

Targeting for AH-1Z is provided by the AN / AAQ-30 target vision (TSS) system developed by Lockheed Martin. TSS includes a fourth generation FLIR third-generation field of view based on a 3 micron to 5 micron vision arrangement, CCD color TV, safe Kollsman laser sight watch and multi-target autotracker. L-3 Communications Wescam supplies tower assemblies. Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to supply the first 16 systems to USMC in March 2008.

Longbow International (a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman) is developing the Cobra radar system for AH-1Z, based on the Longbow millimeter wave radar on the AH-64D Apache. The Cobra is a pod-based radar that can be mounted at the wingtips or in store positions, and can automatically search, detect, classify and prioritize multiple moving and stationary targets. It has a range of 8 km against movement and 4 km against stationary targets.

AH-1Z Viper's new electronic war suite includes a new radar reminder, AN / APR-39 (XE2) from Lockheed Martin, AEL Industries AN / APR-44 continuous wave radar warning, and ATK AN / AAR-47 missile warning system .

AN / AAR-47 uses an infrared detector to detect missile plums. Goodrich (formerly Raytheon) AN / AVR-2A laser warning receiver has also been added. The infrared countermeasure system is AN / ALQ-144A developed by BAE Systems IEWS (formerly Sanders, a Lockheed Martin company).

The Super Cobra helicopter is also equipped with AN / ALE-39 husks and infrared flare dispensers manufactured by BAE Systems, Integrated Defense Solutions (formerly Tracor) and the Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense System.

Bell AH-1Z Viper Price and Orders

The price of the latest Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter is around US $ 31 Million. The Turkish Army selected the AH-1Z Viper in July 2000 with 50 requests from 145 required helicopters. In May 2004, it was announced that the acquisition would be canceled. The helicopter will be built in Turkey by Tusas Aerospace Industries (TAI).

The Government of the Republic of Korea requests the possibility of selling 36 AH-1Z foreign military helicopters in September 2012. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved the possibility of selling 15 AH-1Z foreign military to Pakistan in April 2015.
Bell AH-1Z Viper Specs, Speed, Cockpit, and Price Bell AH-1Z Viper Specs, Speed, Cockpit, and Price Reviewed by Admin on 01:00 Rating: 5

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