Snake Attack by Jim Laurier

AH-1G Cobra flown by CW2 Greg Bucy of the B/25th Aviation Battalion in August, 1969.

The AH-1G was deployed in Vietnam in September 1967 and was most widely known by it’s nickname "Snake". Interesting is that it first was designated as UH-1G because it was build up on the UH-1 “Huey” series, retaining the original UH-1 engine stuffed into a small profile 38 inch wide airframe. The UH-1 designation was quickly changed to AH-1G - “A” for it’s role as an attack aircraft. It was generally equipped with the M28 armament subsystem. This system was a twin mount chin-turret which normally carried a M134 7.62mm mini-gun and a M129 40mm grenade launcher.

The Cobra's primary mission was to give fire support to troop carrying Hueys. It’s trial-by-fire introduction to service as the AH-1G in Vietnam immediately provided ground commanders with air superiority without the wait of calling in the Air Force. The narrow airframe presented a much more difficult target than it's derivative, the 100 inch wide UH-1 "Huey". During the Vietnam War, the AH-1G Cobra was used extensively in a variety of missions ranging from armed escort and reconnaissance to fire suppression and aerial rocket artillery. In was also used to support river boat, operations, as depicted in this painting. The Cobra, or "Snake", was often used effectively when paired with an unarmed OH-6A Cayuse "Loach" or OH-58A Kiowa light observation helicopter or a UH-1H "Nighthawk".