The US Marine Corps' Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter is making its first Paris appearance as an operational asset.
The 'Zulu' was originally seen as an update of the USMC's venerable AH-1 Super Cobra, but this evolved into an entirely new aircraft. While its armament is identical - one 20mm cannon, eight Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and unguided rockets - the Zulu has better aerodynamic performance and improved avionics over its predecessor.
The USMC cleared the Zulu for operations in September 2010.
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Source: Flight Daily News