Bill Cross reviews Osprey Publishing's "AH-1 Cobra Gunship vs NVA Armor.: Vietnam 1967-73"
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/ah-1-cobra-gunship-vs-nva-armor
This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/ah-1-cobra-gunship-vs-nva-armor
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i think they were fitted with early TOW missiles as at one point iirc.
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The heliborne TOW was field tested on modified UH-1 gunships in Vietnam during the Easter 1972 Invasion. The TOW Cobra did not appear for another year or two afterwards.
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As far as I know the Cobra tested TOW in 1973 and these then were in use 1974.
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TOWs were first used in 1972, during the 1972 Easter offensive. Most notably during the battle of An-Loc.
NVA T-54 knocked out by a TOW during An-Loc.
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There is no dispute that TOWs were used in Vietnam, but all evidence points to them being mounted on Hueys. That is the conclusion of the book. That there might have been one on a Cobra is, of course, possible. But Cobras mostly were used as ground-support weapons against troops, so “dumb” rockets were just fine. The Cobras took part in the defense against the Easter Offensive, and destroyed a number of NVA/PAVN vehicles, but most tank losses were to artillery and fixed wing air support.
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