The Bell Huey Cobra was the very first purpose-designed helicopter gunship to become operational and to see combat. Designed in the mid-1960s as an "interim solution" for an armed escort and close-support weapon to support the US Army in the Vietnam War, it is still being manufactured and improved in the 21st century, making it a success far beyond the wildest dreams of its creators. In this book Chris Bishop discusses the origins of the Huey Cobra, the innovations to its design throughout the years and its major combat uses in numerous theatres, including Vietnam, the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, US Persian Gulf escort operations, Lebanon 1983, Panama 1989, the Gulf War 1991 and in the current conflict in Iraq.