Pentagon approves Cobra helicopters for Pakistan

Dawn.net (Islamabad) ^ | September 28, 2008 | Anwar Iqbal

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defense has approved the sale of an unspecified number of Cobra helcopters to Pakistan.

The choppers are refurbished AH-1F Cobra class helicopters with associated equipment.

The Pentagon said the refurbishment would help Pakistan in its efforts to defeat Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in its tribal areas, used allegedly as bases to launch attacks against US troops in Afghanistan, and to conduct counterterrorism missions.

~ snip ~

[LeoWindhorse]

how long until these Pak guns are turned on us too?

[cw35]

I imagine they are pretty handy against US Forces entering Pakistan to do what the Pakis won’t do themselves.

[HamiltonJay]

I wouldn’t worry about a Cobra being turned on us.

Cobra’s are previous generation technology.. the Apache Replaced it in the Army. Its a solid machine, and the Cobra is still the Marine Corps primary attack helicopter.

However in a fight, the Cobra is out of the sky by the Apache before it even knows the Apache is in the area.

I’d also tend to say the “warnings and attacks” on us crossing the border are more political theater than actual threats. That bombing that happened in Pak at that hotel was intended to kill Paks leaders for being too friendly with the US. There’s what’s said and done for public consumption and then there is the realities on the ground... and If I had to bet a paycheck, I’d say we are crossing the border with the full knowledge and support of the Pak leadership, and the “attacks and sabre rattling against the US for doing it” are nothing more than political drama for Pak civilians internal domestic consumption.

[panaxanax]

>>”Cobra’s are previous generation technology..”<<

So is an old Flintlock rifle or a crossbow, but they’ll kill you just as quick as the latest improved weapons. We should not arm those that have threatened to or have already attacked our forces. In the end, Pakistan will join force with Iran, Syria, et al, and expose themselves as an enemy of the United States.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Cobra’s are previous generation technology..

Perhaps the ones being sold to Pakistan can be characterized that way but you obviously don't have much, if any, firsthand experience with the Whiskey or Zulu models.

[vetvetdoug]

Until the Pakistanis stop their policy of shooting at US troops, I wouldn’t sell them cavalry horses.

[HamiltonJay]

Spent years with the Cobra’s flying over my head based out of MCAS New River. I have respect great respect for the Cobra, and know damned well the difference between the AH-1F and the 1Z and 1W.

I won’t claim to be an expert on these birds, but the 1F is not remotely the same as the 1Z and 1W. Hell the 1F is still a much dated single engine variant, and not remotely on par with the 1Z and 1W.

[HamiltonJay]

The AH64 and AH-1W which are the backbone models of the marine corp and army, would shred apart a contingent of AH-1Fs in combat. There’s a reason our military no longer uses these as work horses.

Not to mention that we’d most assuredly have air superiority before we put troops on the ground in any open conflict.

I am nto worried about Pak, they can say all they want and fire shots to make it look like they aren’t supporting us on the ground, but the reality is, they are. That hotel they blew up was to kill the Pak leaders for working with us. They have to keep up appearanced of fighting the US, while at the same time working with us. Don’t buy everything you see in the newspaper folks.