Multiple domestically developed Chinese military helicopters and fixed-wing drones were on display in North China’s Tianjin Municipality on Wednesday ahead of the 7th China Helicopter Exposition scheduled to be held from Thursday to Sunday. An expert said that one of the highlights of the event is expected to be the Z-20T assault helicopter making its first flight performance.
A Global Times visit on Wednesday, a day ahead of its opening, found most of exhibiting items are already in place.
In the static display area, the army aviation force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is exhibiting the Z-20, Z-8L, Z-10 and Z-19 helicopters, as well as KVD001 and KVD002 fixed-wing drones.
Equipped with two advanced turboshaft engines, China’s domestically developed Z-20 utility tactical helicopter is described at the expo as adaptable for a range of missions.
The Z-8L is a domestically produced transport helicopter capable of plateau operations. It is displayed together with a 6×6 all-terrain assault vehicle, which can be carried by the helicopter and conduct transport and fire assault missions.
The Z-10 is China’s first domestically developed medium-sized dedicated attack helicopter with strong survivability and land attack capability, while the Z-19 is a lightweight attack helicopter that can form a combination with the medium-sized Z-10.
Capable of acting together with helicopters, the KVD001 multipurpose drone can augment aviation command and communications, conduct reconnaissance missions and provide target guidance for helicopters, while the larger KVD002 is the PLA Army’s first armed reconnaissance drone with longer endurance and range, with the additional capability of launching reconnaissance, identification and strike missions independently.
The Z-20T, an assault variant of the Z-20, debuted at China’s V-Day military parade in Beijing on September 3.
A scale model of the Z-20T assault helicopter is displayed in the exhibition booth of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), while genuine aircraft of the Z-20T will perform flight demonstrations at the helicopter expo for the first time.
Wang Ya’nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Z-20T’s participation in the military parade and the helicopter expo signals the type has reached maturity and entered service.
Wang said that the Z-20T is developed based on the baseline version of the Z-20. It did not significantly reduce the original Z-20’s transport capability, small external stub wings carry additional weapons without encroaching on internal space.
The scale model of the Z-20T displayed in the AVIC booth showed that the assault helicopter is equipped with a multiple rocket launcher hive and four missiles under each side of its small wing.
The Z-20T can team up with Z-20 in armed assault missions, with the Z-20T providing fire support against the enemy and the Z-20 completing troop transport missions, Wang said.