While some officials within the Pentagon, particularly those within the US Army, had recognised the potential value of purpose-built armed rotary aircraft as early as 1962 and were keen to see such a vehicle developed promptly, the issue was complicated in part due to inter-service politics.
However, these makeshift gunships came with considerable tradeoffs, particularly being barely able to keep up with the troop transports they were intended to protect. By 1962, a small number of armed UH-1As were used as escorts, armed with multiple machine guns and rocket mounts. Without friendly support from artillery or ground forces, the only way to pacify a landing zone was from the air, preferably with an aircraft that could closely escort the transport helicopters, and loiter over the landing zone as the battle progressed. It became clear that unarmed troop helicopters were vulnerable against ground fire from Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops, particularly as they approached landing zones to disembark or embark troops. The linchpin of US Army tactics was the helicopters, and the protection of those helicopters became a vital role. The massive expansion of American military presence in Vietnam opened a new era of war from the air. Instead, the plan was that the troops carried by fleets of UH-1 "Hueys" would range across the country, to fight the enemy at times and places of their own choice. Unlike before, they would not stand and fight long battles, and they would not stay and hold positions. The UH-1 made the theory of air cavalry practical, as the new tactics called for US forces to be highly mobile across a wide area.
The AH-1 was developed using the engine, transmission and rotor system of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, which had proven itself to be a capable platform during the Vietnam War. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the Hue圜obra or Snake. The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter.