Procurement: AH-1F for Pakistan

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February6, 2007: The United States is giving Pakistan eight AH-1F helicopter gunships. These aircraft were replaced, in American service, by the AH-64. The last AH-1F in use by active duty U.S. Army units was in 1999, and the last reserve units replaced them with AH-64s in 2005. The three ton AH-1F is equipped with a three barrel 20mm automatic cannon, and 750 rounds of ammo. Also carried are four TOW, or eight Hellfire missiles. The AH-1F can also carry unguided rockets or Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The AH-1F is also equipped for night operations, has a crew of two and stays in the air for about four hours per sortie. Max speed is about 270 kilometers an hour, and cruising speed is about two-thirds that. The aircraft also carries countermeasures for anti-aircraft missiles. The U.S. Marine Corps still uses a version of the AH-1, and many foreign countries do as well. Currently, Pakistan is using armed transport helicopters as gunships.