Imagine the scene: you’re taking a stroll through the park when you hear the familiar sounds of a helicopter fluttering overhead.
But it’s not your average copter: as the machine nears, you notice a striking resemblance to H.R. Giger’s terrifying Xenomorph creatures from the Alien movie franchise.
And instead of a tongue-like alien proboscis coming from the mouth, it’s sporting a high-powered minigun.
That’s the Alien Tiger 221, a specially modified Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter given a unique paint job by the Czech 221 Tiger Squadron, based out of Náměšti nad Oslavou.
Later this month, the beast will be deployed to Zaragoza, Spain, to participate in a NATO training exercise.
The striking motif is not just for fun: during the meet in Spain, the NATO Tiger Association will give awards to participants in a variety of areas, including a Tiger Aicraft Livery Trophy for graphic design. Czech helicopters twice won the prize, in 2004 and 2005.