USMC retires the Bell AH-1W

Certainly took them long enough!
Bell delivered the first AH-1Ws to the Marines on March 27, 1986 and delivered the final aircraft in 1999
So given the AH-1W life expectancy retirement of the last one would be...now.
Just seems odd to me that the UH-1N retired about five or six years ago while the AH-1W soldiered on till now. Was the AH-1Z's production line purposely slowed to help Bell look attractive for export potential?
 
Certainly took them long enough!
Bell delivered the first AH-1Ws to the Marines on March 27, 1986 and delivered the final aircraft in 1999
So given the AH-1W life expectancy retirement of the last one would be...now.
Just seems odd to me that the UH-1N retired about five or six years ago while the AH-1W soldiered on till now. Was the AH-1Z's production line purposely slowed to help Bell look attractive for export potential?
A few more systems on the AH-1Z than on the UH-1Y. Technical integration mixed with bureaucracy can drag things out.
 

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