AH-1W firing TOW
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Pakistan now has 8 more AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters to carry its fight to the Taliban and al-Qaeda militants operating with virtual impunity on its rugged Western borders – if it so chooses. There have been rumors of an offensive due in Waziristan, following a long series of suicide bombings, assassinations/attempts, and other attacks within Pakistan. The last such offensive in spring 2006 resulted in over 2,000 military casualties, and ended with the government pledging non-interference and freeing 2,500 Taliban and al-Qaeda cadre as part of the “peace” accord.

The AH-1F modernized US Army version of the 40-year-old Bell Helicopter design features a fire-control system with a laser rangefinder; a head-up display (HUD) for the pilot; an AN/ALQ-144 IRCM (“disco ball” infra-red counter-measure) unit mounted above the engine; a cable cutter above and below the cockpit to protect the Cobra in NOE (nap-of-the-earth) flight; and a long exhaust pipe to reduce the helicopter’s infrared signature. The U.S. State Department says the completely refurbished attack helicopters will provide the Pakistan Army with a superior capability to conduct night operations with a “modern attack helicopter” capable of delivering a variety of weapons. See VoA report.

The AH-1F night-capable Cobras (C-NITE Equipped) were transferred to the Pakistan Army February 2 at the Qasim Airbase near Islamabad. They are part of a $50 million U.S. foreign military sales program to combat the growing influence of the al-Qaeda/Taliban insurgency in eastern Afghanistan. As noted in an earlier DID article, the British chief of staff for southern Afghanistan has said that Quetta, Pakistan is the headquarters for that movement.

UPDATES:

June 24/08: The US GAO audits Coalition Support Funding to Pakistan, and notes that many Pakistani Mi-17s and AH-1s remain grounded because maintenance is not done, despite funding of over $55 million to handle that. Read “US GAO Criticizes CSF Aid to Pakistan”.