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After the tests of the armed helicopter and the Utility Tactical Transport Helicopter company were concluded and more Hueys became available for replacing the CH-21, the Department of the Army decided to convert the helicopter companies within Vietnam to a new airmobile company Table of Organization and Equipment. Each of the airmobile companies was organized into one armed platoon consisting of eight UH-1B helicopters with installed weapons systems and two transport platoons with eight UH-1B helicopters each. The Utility Tactical Transport helicopter company remained in-country and supported the Marines and U.S. Army units without organic armed helicopters.

The early tests with the Utility Tactical Transport helicopter company indicated that a platoon from five to seven armed helicopters could protect a transport helicopter force of from twenty to twenty-five aircraft. The organization of the new airmobile company was a compromise between the requirement to provide organic arms support and the requirement to lift troops and cargo.

The armament system brought the armed UH-1B up to its maximum gross weight thereby eliminating it from a troop or cargo-carrying role. In addition to the integrated machine gun and rocket systems, two door gunners were used on the armed helicopters. The door gunners provided additional fire when a threat was clearly identified, and they also performed the functions of clearing and reloading weapons between engagements and clearing some stoppages during engagements.

The UH-1B was not designed for an armed configuration and the weight of the armament system reduced the maneuverability of the aircraft and induced sufficient drag to lower the maximum speed to approximately 80 knots. As a consequence, the armed helicopters could not overtake the airmobile force if they left the formation to attack targets enroute. The early armed UH-1B's did an outstanding job in proving the concept of the armed helicopters, but they also pointed out many deficiencies that the Army would correct in later versions.

Some basic operating procedures became standard. When a target was identified, the escort leader determined whether it could be attacked under the rules of engagement and, if so, directed the engagement. Where possible, targets were engaged at the maximum range of the weapon. This usually consisted of a continuous burst of machine gun fire throughout each firing run. The flight pattern