The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison recently conducted a patrol with Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) Z-10 attack helicopters which confirms that the type has been commissioned into service by the base. The Z-10K known as the ‘Fierce Thunderbolt’ will provide escort and air support to other helicopters, vessels, and ground troops on joint operations.
China’s media outlet CCP Global Times reported that the PLA Hong Kong Garrison conducted a routine joint maritime and air patrol for the second time this year. These training courses not only included air patrols but search-and-rescue drills as well.
The CAIC Z-10 is China’s medium attack helicopter which was developed for the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force, with initial design studies beginning in 1979. 602nd Research Institute led the development of the helicopter utilizing, computer-aided three-dimensional work.
The Z-10 follows a conventional attack helicopter tandem two-stepped cockpit arrangement. The weapons officer sits in the front with the pilot in a rear-raised cockpit. Sensors and engagement systems are housed in a moveable nose assembly like that fitted to the AH-64 Apache. Just like the Apache and the Z-10 is equipped with a chin-mounted 23mm cannon. This can be removed and a 30mm cannon or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher, or a 14.5mm Gatling gun.
The four hardpoints can be fitted with various air-launched anti-tank wire-guided missiles such as the HJ-8, HJ-9, and HJ-10. Air-to-air missiles comprise the TY-90, PL-5, PL-7, and PL-9. Unguided rockets available are 57mm or 90mm fitted in pods on the stub pylons.
Avionics for the Z-10 consist of a YH millimetre-wave fire-control radar and a Blue-Sky navigation/targeting pod. Both pilots wear helmet-mounted sight displays with integrated night vision optics. Later models of the Z-10 are fitted with the YH-96 electronic warfare (EW) suite. The installation of a KG300G jamming pod mounted on one of the stub wing pylons can enhance the helicopter’s jamming capability further.
The Z-10 is powered by two WZ-9 series turboshaft engines which develop 1,350 shaft horsepower each. These are based on a Pratt & Whitney Canada civilian design, the PT6C-67C. Pratt & Whitney Canada is known to have supplied the Chinese with the available software to convert these commercial powerplants into military-grade systems. The transmission was completed with input, at the time, from AgustaWestland. Additionally, a full-authority digital control software was developed with assistance from Hamilton Sundstrand.
The upgrades allow the Z-10 a top speed of over 300 km/h and a range of 800 km
The U.S. Government later fined Pratt & Whitney Canada and Hamilton Sundstrand U.S $75 million for their roles in assisting a foreign nation while under strict U.S. export rules. But, by this stage, the technology had already been introduced on the Z-10 production line in China.
To date around 180 Z-10s have been delivered to China’s People’s Liberation Army.
