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Staff Sgt. Artur Shvartsberg—Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Co The Department of Defense plans on putting its surplus fleet of AH-1W Super Cobras up for sale on the international arms market. The news comes as the USMC continues to outfit its light attack helicopter squadrons with new-build AH-1Z "Viper" derivatives of the Bell design, which traces its roots directly to the iconic UH-1 Iroquois/Huey. A recent business opportunity posting over at Fedbizops.gov describes the need for flight and maintenance training, sustainment, and refitting "Whisky Cobras" with new commercially available off-the-shelf avionics upgrades in preparation for foreign transfers of the type...

Attacking the drug trade with the Super Cobra A crew member closes the hatch on Maj. Scott Benfield as he prepares to fly a mission in his Super Cobra attack helicopter. By: Richard Gould Flying a Super Cobra attack helicopter into combat zones to support his fellow U.S. Marines is Maj. Scott Benfield’s specialty. Raised in Hudson and schooled in Hickory, Benfield has recently returned from Afghanistan where he was stationed during his most recent tour of duty. Afghan insurgents use the proceeds from opium and heroin sales to fund their attacks on American and coalition troops. It’s a problem...

Obama Administration Wants to Give Turkey SuperCobras An unorthodox deal sees Washington providing Ankara with in-service US Marine Corps attack helicopters to aid in its war with the PKK. The Obama administration wants to provide two currently in-service US Marine Corps attack helicopters, Reuters reported Friday. The highly unorthodox move is being considered as Ankara seeks to exact revenge for a major attack by Kurdish separatists. Turkey has been seeking AH-1 SuperCobra helicopters to replace those lost fighting separatist rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for some time. Congressional officials say the Marines would get two new Textron Inc...

A U.S. Marine helicopter pilot who helped save a British marine?s life in Iraq was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross on Wednesday, the first time an American has received the honor since World War II. In a Buckingham Palace ceremony in London, Queen Elizabeth II pinned the medal on U.S. Marine Maj. William D. Chesarek Jr. He has served as the weapons and tactics instructor with the British 847 Naval Air Squadron since 2005 as part of an exchange program between the two countries. His actions during a deployment last year to the British area of operations in Iraq,...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed Thursday it shot down a U.S. attack helicopter that crashed, killing two Marines, and a U.S. general said witnesses saw the aircraft take ground fire and break up in the air. The AH-1W Super Cobra crashed Wednesday near Ramadi during daylong fighting in the insurgent stronghold 70 miles west of Baghdad. In addition to the two crewmen, an American lieutenant died when a bomb exploded as he was rushing to the crash site. Another U.S. soldier died Thursday in a roadside bombing northeast of Baghdad, the military said. In its statement, al-Qaida in...

Report says Taiwan is conducting talks to buy US choppers. NEW REQUIREMENTS: Taiwan is reportedly looking into upgrading its aging attack-helicopter fleet and has been talking to both Bell and Sikorsky. AFP , TAIPEIMonday, Aug 22, 2005,Page 3Taiwan is in talks with US companies to purchase dozens of attack and transport helicopters and upgrade the AH-1W Super Cobra attack fleet serving the army, Jane's Defence Weekly said. "Taiwan and Bell Helicopter-Textron have launched talks on co-manufacturing UH-1Y Huey light utility and AH-1Z King Cobra attack helicopters to fulfil Taipei's requirement for 35 and 30, respectively, of the aircraft," the London-based...

Last Updated: 07/12/2003 13:15:25 Middle East TURKEY THREATENS TO TORPEDO SUPER COBRA ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey has advanced negotiations for the purchase of U.S. helicopters despite uncertainty over Ankara's ability to afford the estimated $2.2 billion price tag. But the Turkish General Staff has threatened to suspend contract talks unless the United States apologizes for the capture of Turkish military personnel and special forces on July 4. Turkey's Defense Ministry and General Staff agreed to drop several demands that have held up the completion of a contract to procure 50 AH-1Z Super Cobra helicopters. The demands included responsibility by manufacturer...

Save the Apache, Lose the Gold Plating By David H. HackworthAs our magnificent warriors return from Iraq, they will tell the folks who sweated them out at home what really went down during their bold march to Baghdad and will catch them up on all the inside skinny concerning the war's winners and losers.              At first glance, one of the big equipment losers is the U.S. Army's crown jewel, the Longbow Apache helicopter gunship (AH-64D model). Especially since a Longbow squadron got ventilated March 24 over the city of Karbala when 34 of these $24 million birds –...

Apr 06, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Having penetrated Baghdad and neutralized its most potent defenders, U.S. troops Sunday were still facing intact Republican Guard troops north of the city and scattered irregulars who wielded control inside. Coalition planes dropped thousands of leaflets on the city, imploring citizens to stay inside their homes. U.S. officials told MSNBC that a large group of Republican Guard had communicated their willingness to surrender, but whether they were part of the force to the north was not known. MSNBC also reported that in the north of the country a U.S. warplane may...

U.S. Declares Near Chokehold on Baghdad By CALVIN WOODWARD .c The Associated Press U.S. troops declared a near chokehold on Baghdad on Saturday and dashed daringly inside, blasting targets nestled in palm trees, to show they can move at will against the capital's beleaguered defenders. Expectations were high of an ultimate showdown with a shredded but dangerous Iraqi force, not only in Baghdad but in Basra to the south and elsewhere along the war's many points of conflict. ``They're pretty much cut off in all directions,'' Air Force Capt. Dani Burrows, speaking for Central Command, said of Baghdad's fighters. Saddam...