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.

Source: Flight Daily News