Images have surfaced on the Chinese Internet of what seems to be an actual AH-64D Apache or a real-size copy of the world’s most famous attack chopper.
The helicopter, on a truck, seems to be in the process of being moved even if it is at least strange that it is not hidden below a protective covering, as happened for other mysterious choppers spotted on the move in China.
It’s not easy to guess how Beijing put their hands on the helicopter. It could be one of the U.S. Army Apaches downed or crash landed in Iraq, that was later fixed and exported in China.
A famous episode is the one of the AH-64 shot down intact during the 2003 attack on Karbala, during which the two US pilots were captured and shown on television along with the helicopter: still, Pentagon later stated the Apache had been destroyed with an airstrike the day following the capture.
Or, it may be a perfect copy of the Boeing AH-64: China has already shown its ability to create clones of the American most advanced weapons systems.
Image via Chinadefense blog. H/T to Ugo Crisponi for the heads-up
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We way underestimate the Chinese? They excel at our top universities.. Built the worlds fastest supercomputer.. They are recruited to work in our defense department. Top expert at miniaturizing atomic bombs for the USA was Chinese. Where is he now? Back in China.. They would neutralize our Pacific Fleet from space. Yes we can do them some damage as well and crash our economy at the same time. I think we should stick to picking on Middle Eastern countries…
I do not think we will have the option. China wants Pacific and global dominance and we can hardly allow it.
Oh look, another arrogant, pointless article based on factless hypotheses aimed to poke fun at those quirky chinese so Americans can feel just a bit more self assured when its federal government cant even afford to issue biweekly paychecks. Look, the chinese military already has a full size attack helicopter called the z-10 co-developed with Russia’s kamov design bureau, google it up if you don’t know, or go play battlefield 4, where it’s featured. This apache is nothing more than a full sized prop or wooden model for some museum or science center. Btw, talking about imitation, US was the king of reverse engineering captured (aka stolen) nazi military tech post ww2…the jet engine, v2, mp44 rifle, tiger tank, you name them…but of course kids trolling the internet these days are too young to even know what ww2 is…”hmm…is that the sequel to Brad Pitt’s world war z?” SMH
This is the delivery of the replica AH-64 to the Expo Park in Zhenhai. I had a look on Google Earth and matched up images taken by tourists. In the images showing the trailer you can see part of the historical building on the right hand side. See following
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/525635-cloning-longbow.html#post8103594
Hopefully the link worked but also see following links.
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/qn525fc784.jpg
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/yw525fd023.jpg
Blow up from panoramio image.
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/xo525fdb5d.jpg
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/tq525fdb6e.jpg
Link to images of the Expo Park under construction. You can zoom into the images.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/50494563
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/50400800
Images of the replica Apache at the Expo Park
http://www.zhxww.net/zhnews4075/upfile/201107/20110718101240-0.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W9Gb75-nLaM/T1SlmQdJbRI/AAAAAAAABQM/0zPq7guXw8I/s640/PICtemp1.jpg
As far as I understand this “model” it is simply an Apache full sized model to be placed at a “National Defense Education Base” in Ningbo.
http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/2013-10-17/0742744831.html
It’s just a movie set in Transformer 4 1/2. Michael Bay approves.