The AH-1 Cobra is a legend of the skies, but the U.S. Army retired it much sooner than the Marines. Here's why the Cobra fell out of favor with the Army.

The AH-1 Cobra is an attack helicopter that started service for the United States Army during the Vietnam War. It's closely related to the UH-1 Huey.

Developed by Bell Helicopter in the 1960s, the AH-1 Cobra was the United States Army’s first dedicated attack helicopter. The helo was developed in direct response to the hard lessons learned ...

The Army also continued to pursue an interim attack helicopter, and Bell developed the AH-1 Cobra two-seat attack helicopter, using the Huey’s transmission, engine, rotor system, and tail structure.

The Cheyenne’s intended role was partially filled by the AH-1 Cobra, and the Army later launched the Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH) program, resulting in the iconic Boeing AH-64 Apache.

The Army's AH-1 Cobra was America's first attack helicopter that Bell created off the back of the UH-1 Huey. It has undergone multiple upgrades.