Haleyone's Cobra on Chinese TV type-thing

No idea which thread it was in but I think this was probably why there were shots of the AH-1Z on Chinese TV:

Taiwan to make parts for new Bell military helicopters_

Two Taiwan companies have signed a US$10 million deal with the Bell Helicopter unit of Textron Inc to make parts used in its latest generation of military helicopters, officials said on Friday.

State-run Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) and private chemical firm Topkey Corp have been awarded a contract to build tail booms and engine cowlings for Bell’s AH-1Z attack helicopter and UH-1Y utility helicopter, an AIDC spokesman said.

“While the contract we signed today is for the manufacture of 53 tailbooms over four years we expect that additional orders in the coming 10 years could generate sales of up to US$60 million,” said spokesman Mike Lee.

AIDC will make the tail booms while Topkey will manufacture the cowlings, Lee said.

In a separate agreement, Bell also authorized AIDC to carry out upgrades on an older generation of Bell’s AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, said Lee.

Taiwan’s military operates a fleet of around 60 Super Cobras, but has requested 70 Boeing Co AH-64D Apache Longbows.

The U.S., which is Taiwan’s largest supplier of arms, has so far denied the requests.

Bell hopes to convince Taiwan’s army to buy the new AH-1Z attack helicopters instead of the Boeing aircraft, or upgrade its existing fleet.

The upgrade increases the speed, range, manoeuvrability of the aircraft, Bell says.

Source: Reuters yesterday

Steve Rush ~ Touchdown-News