The Czech Republic ordered four Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and eight UH-1Y Venom utility rotorcraft in December 2019, so it was not surprising to see examples of both from the US Marine Corps (USMC) in the NATO Air Days static display from September 18-19.
For the duration of the event – which was held in Ostrava, Czech Republic – the USMC-operated rotorcraft flanked a special schemed Mil Mi-35 Hind-E attack helicopter, belonging to the Czech Air Force’s (CzAF’s) 221st Attack Helicopter Squadron at Náměšť nad Oslavou Air Base. The USMC aircraft hailed from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMLA-773) ‘Red Dogs’, a component of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) that is headquartered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.
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