china attack helicopter

In a world where sanctions, vetoes, clones and copies all played a big part, China's attack helicopters are finally

as Jakub Fojtik explainsEMERGING FROM THE SHADOWS

The PeoPles liberation Army (PlA) of China was initially introduced to the concept of armed battlefield helicopters when eight HOT anti-tank missile-equipped SA342L Gazelles from Arospatiale were delivered during the 1980s. These light and agile machines were used to develop anti-armour warfare tactics, as well as undertaking border patrols and simulating hostile aircraft during military training exercises for Chinese special forces. Licence production of the SA342L was under consideration for some time, but this was abandoned when the Cold War ended. Nevertheless, the PLAs experience with its modest fleet of Gazelles eventually led to procurement of additional scout helicopters.

Boasting the worlds longest land border 13,800 miles (22,000km), China clearly needed an armed helicopter capable of lengthy patrols more than any other country. This was particularly the case in the 1980s when China did not enjoy cordial relations or a secure border with many of its neighbours. War raging between Soviet-backed government forces and the Mujahideen in Afghanistan for much of the decade, during which Islamist insurgents routinely fled into China via Pakistan, was a typical example.

Although such violations clearly threatened Chinas homeland security, the PLA repeatedly failed to buy attack helicopters to tighten its borders.

Nevertheless, armament options continued to be evaluated and evidence suggests Chinese engineers visited Angola to inspect locally operated Mil Mi-8TVK transport helicopters equipped with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). Such trips were clearly worthwhile, for Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR) pods and freefall bombs were subsequently introduced to PLA Harbin Z-5 (a Chinese licence-built version of the Mil Mi-4) and Mi-8 helicopters. China also looked at purchasing Mi-24s after the PLA managed to capture one of the type (probably from Mongolia) for evaluation purposes. Its weapon systems were studied to see if they could be manufactured in China for fitment to types already in PLA service at the time.

Even if the Chinese had wanted to pursue the purchase of Mi-24s, it is highly unlikely the Soviet Government would have agreed due to concerns about the deployment of attack helicopters along the Sino-Soviet border. Their presence would almost certainly have evoked memories of the Sino-Soviet conflicts of 1929 and 1969.

Right: A head-on view of the WZ-10, which originally was thought to be the first indigenous Chinese design for a dedicated attack helicopter. Subsequently, however, it emerged that the basic design had been developed by Kamov in Russia, although prototype construction, flight testing and further development were all undertaken in China. All photos via author

In the late 1980s China evaluated the Agusta A129 Mangusta

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Chinese attack helicopters

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In a world where sanctions, vetoes, clones and copies all played a big part, China's attack helicopters are finally

EMERGING FROM THE SHADOWSIn the late 1980s China evaluated the Agusta A129

Mangusta, and in 1988 secured an agreement with the US Government to acquire AH-1 Cobras and licence-build BGM-71 TOW missiles it is no secret that Chinese engineers had visited Iran several years earlier to evaluate the type. Both deals were cancelled when a strictly enforced arms embargo was introduced on China by Western governments in the immediate aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protest repression in June 1989. With the collapse of the USSR in 1991, China approached Bulgaria, Ukraine and Belarus in the hope it could acquire a number of second-hand Mi-24s. The PLA planned to send the helicopters to South Africa for modernisation, but once again the purchase failed to materialise.

In the mid-1990s China approached Russia about acquiring new Kamov Ka-50s and Mil Mi-28s, but the sale of both types was vetoed by the Kremlin although the recently formed Peoples Liberation Army Ground Force Aircraft (PLAGFAF) could have been the helicopters first export customer. The final rejection convinced senior officers in the PLAGFAF to push to develop dedicated, indigenous, attack and scout helicopter.

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Scout for any mission By the mid-1990s the Chinese had fielded an armed helicopter, developed from the medium utility Harbin Z-9. Licence-built clones of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, some 200 unarmed Z-9s, entered service with the PLAGFAF during the early 1990s. The type was deemed powerful enough to cope with the added weight of anti-tank missiles, their pylons and associated sighting sensors. It also had the lowest possible dependence on equipment supplied by foreign manufacturers of any helicopter then in Chinese production. Approximately 70% of the Z-9B was constructed from Chinese-made components, with the rest supplied by France. However, the latters input consisted of the most sophisticated items installed in the helicopter such as its avionics and engines.

China worked hard to reduce the level of French equipment in the Z-9, and by the time the Z-9A-100 model began flight-testing only 9% of the components in the engine and 18% of the airframe and its systems had been supplied by Eurocopter. The Z-9A-100 was later selected as the baseline model for series production of scout and attack versions of the helicopter. The first variant, designated the Z-9C, was intended for maritime patrol and support operations with the Peoples Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF). It was followed by the Z-9W, which was equipped for scouting missions and providing direct fire support for PLA troops on the ground.

The Z-9Ws principal weapon was the locally built

The missiles warhead was also upgraded so it could penetrate explosive reactive armour tted to modern tanks

Above: Chinese People's Liberation Army Aviation Corps Aerospatial SA342L Gazelle LH94307. Eight of the type were delivered during the 1980s, providing China with its fi rst armed battlefi eld helicopters. Below: China has had some degree of success in exporting the Z-9 in both armed and unarmed variants. Seen here is Royal Cambodian Air Force Z-9 MH-909 (c/n Z9-0669), one of 12 delivered in 2013.

China developed the Z-9W, an anti-tank version of the Harbin Z-9 (a licence-built Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin), which entered service in the early-to-mid 1990s. This was followed by the more advanced Z-9WA, which added an all-weather, day/night capability. Seen here are Z-9WAs from the 4th Army Aviation Brigade/65th Group Army, based at Beijing-Tongxian. Note that all are armed with TY-90 air-to-air missiles.


CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS


HJ-8 anti-tank guided missile, a non-licensed derivate of the optically tracked and wire-guided Russian AT-3 Sagger ATGM the Chinese copy incorporated improvements in the weapons construction, guidance systems and warhead effectiveness. The specially developed, increased range, HJ-8B model optimised for employment from a helicopter was the weapon of choice for the Z-9W. Locally manufactured, pod-mounted 57mm and 90mm unguided FFARs (the former are copies of Soviet-era S-5 rockets) and 7.62mm, 12.7mm and 23mm calibre cannon pods could also be carried by the helicopter.

The first Z-9Ws were spotted participating in a military exercise as early as 1989, two years after the prototype completed its maiden flight. Following exhaustive weapons acceptance trials, the helicopter was formally cleared for service with the PLAGFAF in 1993. Production of the Z-9W was well under way by then, Harbin reportedly manufacturing around 50 helicopters.

In 1999 the development of the more advanced all-weather day/night Z-9WA variant was launched by Harbin. The main difference between it and the Z-9W was a nose-mounted forward-looking infrared (FLIR) ball turret installed for weapons guidance and flight navigation. The HJ-8B missiles were replaced by the more modern HJ-8E version with thermal imaging, all-weather day and night guidance capability and an increased range of up to 3.7 miles (6km). The

missiles warhead was also upgraded so it could penetrate explosive reactive armour fitted to modern tanks. Newer ATGMs such as the HJ-10 (sometimes referred to as the ADK-10) were cleared for use by the helicopter too. An indigenously developed weapon that is similar in capability to the American AGM-114 Hellfire, the missile is available in infrared-, laser- and TV-guided versions. For self-defence, the Z-9WA was cleared to carry the unique TY-90 infrared-guided anti-helicopter missile, which has a range of 6km. The TY-90 is presently the only air-to-air missile developed specifically for dogfighting helicopters.

The first Z-9WA prototype almost certainly started flight testing in 2000 with its first public appearance shortly after confirming significant improvements by the Chinese defence industry in local design and production of an armed helicopter. Most surviving Z-9Ws were subsequently upgraded with systems developed for the Z-9WA. China is also considering further improvements to the helicopter, including a crew helmet target cueing system, which is presently under development.

In 2010 China achieved a notable first when four export-specification Z-9WEs were sold to the Kenyan Armed Forces. The helicopters made their combat debut during a six-month deployment to neighbouring southern Somalia in 2012, the Z-9WEs supporting ground forces and conducting armed patrols over territory occupied by Al-Shabaab Islamic terrorists. According to Kenyan military sources, two helicopters were permanently armed with FFARs

Licensed helicopters The Chinese aerospace industrys introduction to helicopter construction came in 1958 after the Soviets agreed to deliver four Mi-4 piston-engined helicopters and blueprints to allow their local manufacture. Although Harbin managed to y a prototype in 1959, production examples of the Z-5 (as the type was designated) only began to reach frontline PLA units from 1963 due to technical delays. By the time production ceased in the 1970s around 545 Z-5s had been built. While most served served the Chinese military, 40 were supplied to the Albanian Air Force and 50 to the Korean Peoples Army Air Force.

In 1976 China signed a contract with French company Arospatiale that allowed Changhe to licence produce the three-engined SA321A Super Frlon heavy transport helicopter, locally designated the Z-8. The rst example, which differed in many aspects from the French model (13 Arospatiale-built helicopters had also been acquired in 1977-78), was delivered to the Peoples Liberation Army Naval Air Force nine years later. Since then land- or ship-based anti-submarine warfare/search and rescue Z-8s, Z-8Ss and Z-8JHs have entered service with the navy, while Z-8As, Z-8Ks and Z-8KAs have been acquired by the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force to perform the SAR mission. China has also recently developed a domestic civil helicopter variant of the Z-8 known as the Avicopter AC313, which is powered by three Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-67A engines.

In 1980 China acquired rights for local assem-bly, and later production, of the AS365 Dauphin. Designated the Z-9, more than 200 examples have been built to date by Harbin. Another French-inspired Chinese helicopter is the Z-11, which, despite CAIC claims that it is an independent development, is clearly a reverse-engineered AS350. Indeed, the machine uses identical dynamic parts and a locally produced version of the Arriel turboshaft engine.

Harbin has also been building the AS350s French replacement, the Eurocopter EC120, since 2004, the assembly line in northern China being the only plant for the helicopter outside of France. Both the PLAGFAF and local police forces have purchased examples, which is designated the HC-120 in China.

Another Airbus Helicopters design is also set to go into production in China in the near future following the signing of an agreement between the manufacturer and Avicopter on March 25, 2014. As many as 1,000 EC175/AC352 seven-ton medium utility helicopters could be built as the Z-15, replacing the Mi-8, Sikorsky S-70, Z-8 and Z-9 in Chinese military service. According to an Airbus Helicopters press release at the time the agreement was signed: While development work has been equally shared between Airbus Helicopters and Avicopter for the EC175/AC352 project, production is likewise shared, combining the capabilities of both companies. Coming from a common platform, two different rotorcraft are being built: the AC352, assembled and supported from China by Avicopter, mainly for the Chinese market; and the EC175, assembled and sup-ported by Airbus Helicopters from Marignane, France, for the worldwide market.

On a much smaller scale, Italian manufacturer Agusta entered into licence production with CAIC in 2000 for construction of its A109E light utility type. A modest number of helicopters have since been built by the Jiangxi Changhe-Agusta Helicopter Company under the designation CA109.

Finally, Russian helicopter giant Mil estab-lished a joint manufacturing plant with the Sichuan Lantian Helicopter Co for local assem-bly of Mi-171 helicopters from 2008. Capable of delivering up to 80 helicopters a year, the plant was built in Sichuan province by Mil when it realised its two Russian factories could not cope with the volume of orders received China.

Above: The Kenyan Air Force (KAF) was the fi rst export customer for the Z-9WE, buying four in 2010. This KAF example, 585 (c/n Z9-0685), is from a second batch of four that were delivered.




and cannon pods. Although operations in Somalia were of low intensity, successful deployment of the Z-9WE in combat greatly improved the marketability of the helicopter with other potential customers. Aside from the Kenyan Armed Forces, Z-9WEs have been delivered to Kampuchea, Laos, Mali, Pakistan and Venezuela, with further sales of baseline Z-9s to other countries.

SA342 replacement With the SA342 helicopter clearly outdated by the 1990s, the PLAGFAF chose an upgraded version of the locally built Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) Z-11 as its replacement. Based on the Eurocopter AS350 cureuil, the Z-11 project started in 1989 under the leadership of Wu Ximing, who would subsequently act as general designer for the WZ-10 attack helicopter and WZ-19 battlefield scout. The flight test programme for the Z-11 was completed in October 2000, and soon work on the CZ-11W battlefield surveillance, reconnaissance and light attack variant began.

The CZ-11W variant was unveiled after three years of development. Capable of carrying up to four HJ-8 ATGMs, the helicopter was also equipped with a roof-mounted FLIR ball turret. Less than 24 CZ-11Ws

have been acquired by the PLAGFAF to date as direct replacements for the ageing SA342s, as the Z-9WA is considered a more flexible and powerful option for the armed scouting role. However, the CZ-11Ws hot and high performance is superior to the larger Z-9WA, which means the CAIC-built machine is particularly suited to operating in mountainous areas.

WZ-10 a real attack helicopter Development of a dedicated attack helicopter was launched in China as a direct result of the overwhelming Coalition victory during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Targeting Iraqi tanks and armoured vehicles in Kuwait and southern Iraq, US Marine Corps AH-1 Cobras and US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters were in the vanguard of the Coalition ground offensive.

Keen to use the experience of foreign manufacturers in the design and construction of a new machine, the Chinese Government courted overseas manufacturers to work alongside the 602nd and 608th Research Institutes to create the ostensibly civilian oriented six-ton class China Medium Helicopter (CHM). Eurocopter (rotor installation and design consultancy), Pratt & Whitney Canada (PT6C turboshaft engine) and Agusta

Unlicensed helicopters Chinese manufacturers have an unfortunate reputation of reverse-engineering technol-ogy supplied by foreign companies. For example, the Z-8 was used as the basis for the fully domesticated AC313, the largest helicopter ever developed in China featur-ing new avionics, a redesigned fuselage, new engines and many other upgraded systems not previously seen in the Super Frlon or the licensed Z-8. The rst prototype made its maiden ight on March 18, 2010, and China views this type as a local counterpart to imported Mi-171 and Mi-17V-5/7 helicopters.

The medium utility Z-9 platform has also been signi cantly upgraded and redesigned, allowing it to perform myriad armed and unarmed roles. In its most modi ed form the helicopter is the basis for the WZ-19 bat-tle eld scout. The light Z-11 model has also recently been upgraded by Avicopter as the AC311, which evidentially combines features of both the AS350 and EC120.

China now also has the economic power to in uence the helicopter market. For example, with the EC175 model, Avicopter was initially contracted in 2008 to deliver airframes, gearboxes, fuel systems and undercarriage units, as well as to co-operate on the overall design of the helicopter. However, by early 2014 Chinese of cials had persuaded Airbus Helicopters to launch the locally built AC352 (Z-15 in military service) powered by Chinese-manufactured WZ-16 engines a licence-built development of the Turbomca Ardiden turboshaft engine rather than the PT6C-67Es that will power the EC175. If production of the AC352 is a success, Airbus Helicopters will also offer the machine as an option to customers. Should this happen, it will be the rst time that a leading aerospace manufac-turer has agreed to sell a Chinese-developed version of one of its products.

Proving China has not kicked its habit of developing unlicensed versions of foreign military hardware, on December 23, 2013 a photo appeared on a Chinese website of a medium utility helicopter dubbed the Z-20 making its rst ight. Clearly based on the Sikorsky S-70C-2 (24 of which were procured by China in 1983), the new machine has a ve-bladed rotor, a larger cabin than the original and a different landing gear and tail. China has long sought a medium sized mili-tary utility helicopter, and having failed to legitimately buy more S-70s, it now appears to have taken matters into its own hands.

Below: Two WZ-10s from the 5th Army Aviation Brigade/1st Group Army at Nanjing seen in northern China during 2013 while participating in an exercise to test combat tactics in complex weather situations.

Above: A ground crew member talks to the crew of a WZ-10 as a pair of Z-9WAs prepare for landing in the background.




Westland (transmission) all provided significant technical assistance.

It soon became obvious the CHM project was merely a subterfuge for the Armed Helicopter Developmental Work Team that created at around the same time. Such clandestine activity was forced on the Chinese due to the long-standing, and often ignored, arms embargo placed on the country by the West following the bloodshed of Tiananmen Square. In 1998, after four years of development work, the 602nd Research Institute proposed the armed helicopter programme should take priority over the CHM. It was at this point that the new machine was first designated the Wu Zhi (WZ) 10.

With the collapse of a deal to purchase Ka-50 helicopters from Russia in 2000, work on the WZ-10 assumed even greater importance. Its development was kept under stricter secrecy than the Chengdu J-10 fighter of the same period, the WZ-10 programme being called the Special Armed Project.

Publicly, the 602nd Research Institute was assigned as the chief originator of the new machine to convince the outside world that the helicopter was a home-grown product. In reality, the Kamov design bureau had been secretly contracted by the Chinese Government to perform developmental work on the WZ-10 as far back as 1995. Indeed, the Russian company had a free hand when it came to establishing base specifications such as weight, payload capacity and speed. Ultimately, although prototype construction, flight testing and further development were performed by the Chinese, the WZ-10 was a Kamov design. This was confirmed, somewhat surprisingly, by Kamovs chief designer Sergei Mikheyev during Heli Expo 2013 when he announced that the WZ-10 was the end result of a joint Russian-Chinese enterprise known as Project 941.

United Technologies Corp and its subsidiaries Pratt & Whitney Canada and Hamilton Sundstrand had been fined US$75 million by the US Justice Department in June 2012, after they broke a long-standing arms embargo with China by supplying it with engine control software that aided development of the WZ-10. This charge was vehemently denied by the Chinese defence ministry. According to press reports, Pratt & Whitney Canada had agreed to help China build its first military attack helicopter in return for being in with a chance of securing lucrative contracts

to provide engines for civilian aircraft.Harbin of the CAIC was chosen initially to build

the WZ-10, although responsibility was ultimately transferred back to the parent company in 2000. The first prototype was constructed the following year and made its maiden flight in April 2003. Six prototypes were eventually built, while WZ-10 components were also flown on Mi-171 and Z-8 testbeds.

During the course of the exhaustive test programme the helicopters design was significantly modified in light of the results gleaned from the flight trials. For example, the streamlined fuselage panels, initially seen on the first two prototypes, were replaced by flat panels with a lower radar cross-section (RCS) signature. The engine mounts and exhaust outlets were also redesigned, while the nose-mounted sensors were replaced by upgraded versions of these systems.

The first of 12 pre-production helicopters was seen at an air base near Beijing in 2009, and it is believed that as many as 74 WZ-10s are now in frontline service with the PLAGFAF.

Although the WZ-10 was supposed to be a totally indigenous helicopter, initially it relied on locally built copies of the French Turbomca Makila engine during the early phase of its test programme. This was primarily because the Chinese-developed Wozhou-9 engine was then still under

The helicopters made their combat debut during a six-month deployment to neighbouring southern Somalia in 2012

China's fi rst helicopter display team, the Fenglei (Wind and Thunder), was formed with fi ve WZ-10s from the 4th Army Aviation Brigade/65th Group Army at Beijing-Tongxian, on August 25, 2013. They are seen here taking off to perform their fi rst display ,on September 5, 2013, at the China Heli Expo in Tianjin.

This close-in view of a WZ-10 shows its traditional attack helicopter layout, with a tandem, stepped,

two-seat cockpit and nose-mounted sensor turret.




development. Although the second least powerful engine of the five tested for fitment to the WZ-10, the Wozhou-9 has the advantage of being totally free of foreign-built components.

Nevertheless, Western observers have claimed the Chinese turboshaft engine is merely a copy of the Russian Klimov TV3-117 as used in most Mil and Kamov medium-lift, utility and attack helicopters. However, unlike the latter engine, the Wozhou-9s fitted to the WZ-10 have been installed aft of the helicopters gearbox the layout of the TV3-117 precludes such an arrangement. Designers working on the WZ-10 specifically chose this engine position due to the lower vibrations associated with this type of layout, as well as to ease main gearbox construction. Another key difference between the Russian and Chinese engines is that the TV3-117 relies on an auxiliary power unit when starting, while the WZ-10 has an inbuilt electrical starter.

Looking at the crew layout of the production standard WZ-10, the helicopter has stepped tandem cockpits in typical modern attack helicopter fashion. However, unlike the Apache or the Mi-24, the pilot occupies the front cockpit and the weapon systems officer (WSO) is seated behind him identical to the Eurocopter Tiger and Kawasaki OH-1 layout. It is believed both cockpits will be made fully NVG-capable during production, unlike the first examples now in service.

In a first for a Chinese helicopter, the WZ-10 has reportedly been fitted with fly-by-wire controls, operated via HOCAS (hands-on collective and stick) buttons. However, on the few video clips of the helicopters cockpit uploaded onto the internet, the WZ-10 appears to have conventional controls which were developed in parallel to HOCAS as a backup. In some imagery, pilots and WSOs are seen

wearing helmets similar to the Honeywell IHADSS (Integrated Helmet Display Sight System) used by AH-64D Longbow Apache crews.

Each cockpit is equipped with two large LCD multi-function displays (MFDs), with the front cockpit also boasting a head-up display. The WZ-10 is one of the first Chinese helicopters equipped with a flight management system, which facilitates easy mission planning and debriefing.

Both cockpit tubs, which are made of polycarbonate, are protected by composite armour on the bottom and sides. The canopy features bulletproof glass that is up to 38mm thick, making it capable of withstanding direct hits from both shrapnel and rounds fired from

machine guns up to .50-calibre in size. The WZ-10s fuselage is primarily constructed from aluminium alloy, with composite materials accounting for around 30% of it. Although the helicopter was designed with a reduced RCS signature and reduced electro-magnetic characteristics, the WZ-10 cannot be called stealthy, although it has reportedly been camouflaged in radar-absorbent paints.

Behind the cockpits within the fuselage structure is the main gearbox, which harnesses power from the two nacelle-mounted Wozhou-9 turboshaft engines. The engine inlets are protected by wire mesh to prevent possible FOD ingestion. The helicopters main rotor was designed by a team led

However, unlike the Apache or the Mi-24, the pilot occupies the front cockpit and the weapon systems officer (WSO)is seated behind him

Above: Four WZ-10s from the Fenglei (Wind and Thunder) display team fly past during their first display on September 5, 2013, at the China Heli Expo in Tianjin, while the fifth helicopter sits in the foreground.

Right: Four WZ-10s from the 5th Army Aviation Brigade/1st Group Army at Nanjing participate in a training exercise. The weapons pylons carry HJ-10 anti-tank missiles.




by Li Meng, who was deputy chief engineer at CAIC during the WZ-10s early development phase. The rotor consists of five Type 95KT composite blades, which were developed by CAIC as one of ten critical home-grown technologies included within the WZ-10. The Spheriflex rotor head system installed in the AS350 was the inspiration behind the damping system fitted to the helicopter.

Initially, a fenestron tail configuration had been planned for the WZ-10 following the success of the Z-9 an early mock-up of the helicopter was seen with such an arrangement. However, the greater power requirements associated with the fenestron tail, as well as its increased weight and higher construction and maintenance costs, saw the fan-in-fin replaced by a more conventional four-bladed X-shape tail rotor similar to that used on the AH-64. This simpler layout also has a reduced noise signature. Both main and tail rotor blades have been designed to withstand direct hits from 12.7mm bullets.

The Chinese have said the avionics suite in the WZ-10 is more advanced than that of Russian attack helicopters. This equipment includes the fully solid state and digitised YH millimetre wave (MMW) fire-control radar, which is integrated with other subsystems of the helicopters electronic warfare system such as its radar warning receivers, laser warning receivers, electronic support measures and electronic countermeasures.

The WZ-10s primary fire control system (FCS) is electro-optical, and its development has been strongly influenced by Chinas previous experience manufacturing similar French and Israeli systems. The software used by the FCS is indigenous, however. The system relies on colour daytime TV cameras, night vision cameras and imaging infrared cameras, and has a laser designator/illuminator and range finder in a conventional chin-mounted FLIR turret. The FCS can be slaved to the crews helmet-mounted sights. The prototype WZ-10 was also equipped with a Modernised Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor system similar to that installed in the AH-64D, but all production examples lack this device.

Thanks to its modular design and GJV289A standard databus architecture (Chinese equivalent of the MIL-STD-1553B), the WZ-10 can be armed with a wide variety of weapons of both Russian and Western origin. Internal armament consists of a chain-fed autocannon installed under the chin of the helicopter. Three types of autocannon are

available to the WZ-10, namely a 23mm indigenously developed gun, a Chinese copy of the 2A72 30mm weapon and a reverse-engineered version of the 25mm M242 Bushmaster. Up to two smaller calibre machine guns can also be fitted into a nose-mounted turret, along with a grenade launcher.

The helicopters stub wings have two hardpoints each, and they are individually capable of carrying up to four ATGMs. These include the locally built HJ-8, HJ-9 and HJ-10. Although the latter weapon also has an anti-helicopter capability, the principal air-to-air missile used by the WZ-10 is the TY-90. The helicopter can also be equipped with a variety of FFARs ranging in size from 20mm to 130mm. Smaller calibre rockets are pod-mounted, while the 130mm weapons are carried individually on the hardpoints. Free-fall bombs up to 500kg in weight, and 7.62mm, 12.7mm and 23mm cannon pods can also be uploaded to the stub wings.

WZ-19 scoutAt the same time as the WZ-10 was being developed, Wu Ximing of the 602nd Research Institute began work on modifying the Z-9 into the WZ-19 reconnaissance and attack helicopter. One of the primary reasons for its creation was the price of the WZ-10, which at around US$27 million per unit is the most expensive Chinese helicopter built to date. With this figure firmly in mind, the Chinese defence ministry initiated the parallel development of a cheaper, and smaller, armed helicopter based on the Z-9.

Unlike the WZ-10, which was designed exclusively for the PLAGFAF, the WZ-19 will also be used by the Peoples Liberation Army Naval Air Force and the Ministry of Public Security, which is responsible for border security. After a series of design changes

Above: A rear view of the WZ-10 in a clean configuration, with its weapons pylons devoid of stores.Below: This head-on shot of a WZ-10 shows to advantage the stepped cockpit, which also gives the rear crew a good forward view.

A WZ-10 demonstrates its agility in a steep climb, showing off its profile to advantage.




a final layout was settled upon in 2004 following a detailed evaluation of the combat experience of Coalition battlefield helicopters in Afghanistan and Iraq. Having analysed the tactics used by Western armed forces in these countries, the PLAGFAF asked for the development of a scout helicopter that could be employed in combined operations with the WZ-10, or independently of it in low-intensity conflicts. Indeed, this is how the French EC665 Tiger and SA342M Gazelle Viviane or AH-64D Apache Longbow and OH-58D Kiowa Warrior have been fielded in Afghanistan, operating in hunter-killer teams. Scout and attack versions of the WZ-19 for maritime and border patrol use were subsequently expected to be introduced into service.

In 2005 the first photograph of a mock-up version of the helicopter appeared on the internet, the WZ-19 being parked in front of the administrative centre of the Harbin manufacturing plant. At this time the mock-up featured a dummy radar above the main rotor mast, and a second photograph that emerged on the internet a year later showed a modified horizontal tail flap design. The definitive layout of the helicopter was revealed in May 2010 when the WZ-19 prototype made its first flight. Although such events are usually covered by Chinese media, strangely in this case, there was no official public announcement. Unfortunately the prototype crashed on September 18 that same year (more recently, on March 4, 2014, a PLAGFAF WZ-10 was written off in a crash in central Shaanxi province). As a result of this early setback, the public unveiling of the WZ-19 was delayed until the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2012, when two prototypes devoid of fuselage numbers were displayed.

Study of these machines has revealed that the WZ-19 employs the dynamic system of the Z-9, including a pair of Arriel 1C1 turboshaft engines. However, press reports have also noted that the Chinese-developed WZ-8C derivative of the Arriel has been fitted to the helicopter too. Dispensing with the conventional Z-9 forward fuselage section, Wu Ximing and his team adopted stepped cockpits, as seen on most modern battlefield helicopters. Like the WZ-10, in the WZ-19 the pilot is seated in the front cockpit with the WSO behind him. The helicopters avionics suite is also similar to that installed in the WZ-10, with both cockpits being equipped with MFDs. There is also a HUD for the pilot, and the cockpits are helmet-mounted sight compatible. The flight controls, however, are conventional, rather than employing a fly-by-wire/HOCAS system as seen in the WZ-10.

The WZ-19 has a FLIR ball turret under the nose for

navigation, weapon guidance and tracking, and is also fitted with the YH millimetre wave (MMW) fire-control radar system. Reflecting its battlefield scout role, the helicopter lacks an integral cannon such armament is also missing from the OH-1 and OH-58 helicopters, for example. Four stub wing-mounted weapons racks can carry a combination of guided HJ-8 and HJ-10 ATGMs, 20mm, 57mm or 90mm FFAR pods, free-fall bombs up to a weight of 500kg or 7.62mm, 12.7mm or 23mm cannon pods. Finally, the WZ-19 is equipped with radar warning receivers, flare dispensers and reduced infrared signature exhausts.

As previously noted, the WZ-19, thanks to its smaller size and cheaper cost, will also see service with the Peoples Liberation Army Naval Air Force and the Ministry of Public Security. It is a particularly important type for the navy, as with the WZ-19s introduction, the Chinese will at last have an attack helicopter in their inventory that is capable of operating from the flight deck of destroyers, assault ships and aircraft carriers. The WZ-10 has conducted deck trials in the recent past, but the more compact WZ-19 appears to be the favoured type for maritime service.

Increased power With the imminent fielding of both WZ-10s and WZ-19s, the PLAGFAF is on the cusp of having a

hunter-killer team of battlefield helicopters that rivals, if not exceeds, the capabilities of any from its Asian neighbours. For the first time in Chinas history it will be able to effectively defend its borders against the full spectrum of potential threats. The helicopters introduction will also significantly increase the PLAGFAFs offensive capabilities.

Presently, WZ-10s equip the 1st Army Aviation Regiment (of the 54th Group Army) based in Xinxiang, the 5th Army Aviation Brigade (of the 1st Group Army) in Nanjing, the 6th Army Aviation Brigade (of the 42nd Group Army) in Dalio (Sanshui), the 8th Army Aviation Brigade (of the 38th Group Army) in Baoding, and the 9th Army Aviation Brigade (of the 39th Group Army) in Liaoyang.

The WZ-19 is still undergoing testing, and is not scheduled to enter service with the PLAGFAF until late 2015. Subsequent production of WZ-19 variants for the Peoples Liberation Army Naval Air Force and the Ministry of Public Security will further increase the military effectiveness of China within its Asian sphere of influence.

Chinese aerospace engineers are now working on fourth-generation attack helicopters that boast stealth capabilities. According to Wu Ximing, these programmes were initiated several years ago following Chinas continued lack of success in obtaining the latest attack helicopters from Russia or the USA, CAIC commencing the ambitious development of a high-speed stealth (or at least low RCS) attack helicopter and a heavier ten-ton machine that will boast similar attributes.

Funding for these helicopters could come from exporting WZ-10s and WZ-19s, although neither type has yet been officially offered for sale to foreign customers. One of the key attributes of both is that they are free of export-controlled systems supplied by the West or Russia. This means that China can sell them to anybody. At present it would appear that Pakistan could be the WZ-10s first export customer, the type being bought as a replacement for combat-weary AH-1F Cobras the Pakistanis are also being offered the T-129 by Turkish manufacturer TAI. There is concern, however, that the WZ-10 is as yet unproven in combat. The Chinese defence ministry is acutely aware of this, and, according to some press reports, is trying to find somewhere in Africa where it can send a small number of helicopters to operate in a peacekeeping capacity. It is hoped that the WZ-10s performance in such an expeditionary role will demonstrate its credentials as a true battlefield helicopter.

The Chinese will at last have an attack helicopter in their inventory that is capable of operating from the flight deck of destroyers

Another view of one of the WZ-19 prototypes, two of which were built. Development is still under way and the type is not scheduled to enter service until late-2015.

Above: The WZ-19, which was developed in parallel with the WZ-9 and is intended as a cheaper and smaller reconnaissance and attack helicopter.

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