The AH-1Z Viper, a twin engine attack helicopter designed for the US Marine Corps, plays key roles in close air support, anti-armor, armed escort, armed and visual reconnaissance, and fire support co-ordination.

The AH-1Z was first declared combat ready by the Marine Corps in September 2010 with initial projections to produce 189 AH-1Z attack helicopters through 2021.

The final of these 189 was delivered in November 2022.

US aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter, which produces the Viper, has made 197 AH-1Zs in total.

Of the eight made for foreign customers, six were delivered to Bahrain in 2023. Another two out of a planned six were delivered to the Czech Republic in July 2023.

The deliveries of the AH-1Z are just one example of how the United States cements strategic partnerships in critical geopolitical regions.

For its part, Bahrain has allied itself with the United States in an effort to defend against potential Iranian aggression in the Gulf.

Meanwhile, the deliveries of the Viper to the Czech Republic are part of a joint effort to counter threats from Russia and to support Ukraine.

The United States agreed to provide the Czech Republic with eight total H-1 class helicopters, including the six AH-1Zs and two UH-1Ys, to the Czech army for free, outside the costs of transferring and upgrading the aircraft, as repayment for the Czech Republic's donation of its Soviet-era Mi-24/Mi-35 attack helicopters to Ukraine.

"Delivery of the first American helicopters is a significant moment for the modernization of the military, it moves the helicopter air force into the 21st century," said Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová in a July 2023 press release.

"In this way, we are getting rid of our dependence on Russian technology and switching to a modern Western platform supplied by an important ally," Černochová said.

Enhanced capabilities

The AH-1Z was specifically designed with the ability to support multiple weapons configurations, its flexibility lending itself to the diverse operational needs of the Marine Corps.

The AH-1Z's armaments include eight AGM-114 Hellfire air to ground missiles, 14 70mm rockets, as well as a 20mm M197 three-barreled electric Gatling gun.

The Viper's newest weapons is the Marine Corps' AGM-179A JAGM air-to-ground missile, which first achieved initial operational capability in March 2022.

The AGM-179A is an air-launched precision guided missile for use against both land and naval targets, weighing 115 pounds (52.2kg) with a maximum range of 8km.

Compared to its US Army cousin -- the AH-64D/E Apache, the AH-1Z is a faster, lighter, and more maneuverable aircraft.

However, the average Apache has a maximum gross weight of 20,260 pounds (9189.8kg), while the average AH-1Z has a max gross weight of 18,500 pounds (8,391.5kg). Because of its larger size, the Apache is able to carry more ordnance.

Both the Apache and the Viper have Link 16 connectivity, enabling them to access and transmit data to the tactical military communication network used by the US, NATO and coalition forces.

The system provides a secure, jam-resistant, high-speed digital data link that operates at radio and microwave frequencies, enabling a range of platforms to exchange text, imagery and digital voice messages.

The Marine Corps' Air Test and Evaluation Squadron successfully demonstrated a two-way connection among an AH-1Z Viper, a UH-1Y Venom and a portable ground station at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, in November 2021.