Bell AH - 1Z Viper The Bell AH - 1Z Viper " Zulu Cobra " is an upgraded version of the AH - 1W SuperCobra . The AH - 1Z features a four blade , bearingless , composite main rotor system , uprated transmission , and a new target sighting system . It is currently beginning to replace the AH - 1W as the primary attack helicopter of the USMC . Origins . The first example of an upgraded and modernized AH - 1 was in 1979 with the Bell 249 , which was an AH - 1S equipped with a four blade main rotor system , hellfire missiles , a new targeting system and improved engines . This drew interest from the USMC but funding was not available . Further interest in to the idea of an upgraded AH - 1 came in 1996 with the H - 1 upgrade program . The USMC started the H - 1 upgrade program by signing a contract with Bell Helicopters for upgrading 180 AH - 1Ws into AH - 1Zs and upgrading 100 UH - 1Ns into UH - 1Ys . The AH - 1Z and UH - 1Y share a common tail boom , engines , rotor system , drive train , avionics architecture , software , controls and displays for over 84 % identical components . These design commonalities would help greatly to reduce operating costs . The AH - 1Z program progressed slowly from 1996 to 2003 largely as a research and development operation . The existing two - blade semi - rigid , teetering rotor system is being replaced with a four - blade , hingeless , bearingless rotor system . The four - blade configuration provides improvements in flight characteristics including increased flight envelope , maximum speed , vertical rate - of - climb , payload and reduced rotor vibration . The AH - 1Z first flew on 8 December 2000 . In February 2008 , the United States Navy adjusted the contract , with the last 40 AH - 1Zs to be built as new airframes instead of the previously planned rebuild of AH - 1Ws . In September 2008 , the Navy requested an additional 46 airframes for the Marine Corps , bringing the total number ordered to 226 . In 2010 , the Marine Corps planned to order 189 AH - 1Zs with 58 of them being new airframes , with deliveries to continue until 2019 . On 10 December 2010 , the Department of the Navy approved full - rate production . Design . The AH - 1Z incorporates new rotor technology , upgraded military avionics , weapons systems and electro - optical sensors in an integrated weapons platform . It has improved survivability and can find targets at longer ranges and attack them with precision weapons . The AH - 1Z ' s new bearingless , hingeless rotor system has 75 % fewer parts than that of four - bladed articulated systems . The blades are made of composites , which have an increased ballistic survivability , and there is a semiautomatic folding system for stowage aboard amphibious assault ships . Its two redesigned wing stubs are longer , with each adding a wing - tip station for a missile such as the AIM - 9 Sidewinder . Each wing has two other stations for 2 . 75 - inch ( 70 mm ) Hydra 70 rocket pods or AGM - 114 Hellfire quad missile launchers . The Longbow radar can also be mounted on a wing tip station . The AH - 1Z features an integrated avionics system including two mission computers and an automatic flight control system developed by Northrop Grumman . Each crew station has two 8x6 - inch multifunction liquid crystal displays ( LCD ) and one 4 . 2x4 . 2 - inch dual function LC - display . The communications suite combines a US Navy RT - 1824 integrated radio , UHF / VHF , COMSEC and modem in a single unit . The navigation suite includes an embedded GPS inertial navigation system ( EGI ) , a digital map system and a low - airspeed air data subsystem , which allows weapons delivery when hovering . The crew are equipped with the Thales " Top Owl " helmet - mounted sight and display system . The Top Owl has a 24 - hour day / night capability and a binocular display with a 40° field of view . Its visor projection provides forward looking infrared ( FLIR ) or video imagery . The AH - 1Z has survivability equipment including the Hover Infrared Suppression System ( HIRSS ) to cover engine exhausts , countermeasure dispensers , radar warning , incoming / on - way missile warning and on - fuselage laserspot warning systems . The Lockheed Martin target sight system ( TSS ) incorporates a third - generation FLIR sensor . The TSS provides target sighting in day , night or adverse weather conditions . The system has various view modes and can track with FLIR or by TV . Operational history . The AH - 1Z completed sea - trial flight testing in May 2005 . On 15 October 2005 , the USMC , through the Naval Air Systems Command , accepted delivery of the first AH - 1Z production helicopter to enter the fleet . The AH - 1Z and UH - 1Y completed their developmental testing in early 2006 . During the first quarter of 2006 the aircraft were transferred to the Operational Test Unit at the NAS Patuxent River , where they began operational evaluation ( OPEVAL ) testing . In February 2008 , the AH - 1Z and UH - 1Y began the second and final portion of OPEVAL testing . AH - 1Z testing was stopped in 2008 due to issues with its targeting systems . The AH - 1Z was finally declared combat - ready in September 2010 .