Page 37 - ADT MAY / JULY 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP
P. 37
AERIAL MIGHT
China’s indigenous military aviation complex is churning
out a large number of combat platforms
By ATUL CHANDRA
C hina’s military industrial with the new Z-10ME attack heli- extensive support agreements.
The Chinese Government has also
complex is churning out
copter put on display for the first
new military platforms at
the Aviation Industry Corporation
tive finance terms for the purchase
a rate reminiscent of the erstwhile time at an international air-show by proved amenable to offering attrac-
USSR. An entire generation of new of China (AVIC) and the China of Chinese weapons.
airborne military platforms are being National Aero-Technology Import &
developed by the Chinese aero- Export Corporation (CATIC). The The Z-10ME is an improved ver-
space industry that also seems to Z-10ME was on static display and a sion of the Z-10 in use by ground
have taken an unassailable lead in company official told Asian Defence and air forces of the People’s
the development of a wide vari- Technology that the attack helicop- Liberation Army. The Z-10ME was
ety of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ter was being displayed to further its first unveiled at the Airshow China
(UAVs). The Chinese aerospace export potential with some countries 2018 in Zhuhai and features more
industry today produces the J-20 already having shown interest in the powerful 1,200-kilowatt engines,
stealth fighter, the Y-20 four-engine helicopter. which have allowed an increase in
transport aircraft, the Z-20 utility its mobility, protection, and fire-
helicopter, the GJ-11 stealth attack The Z-10ME medium multirole power. The Z-10 is in widespread
drone, the FC-31 stealth fighter attack helicopter is being promoted use in China and was the first
jet, the J-10CE fighter jet, the as a platform that offers good attack helicopter developed domes-
JF-17 fighter jet, the L-15A combat flight performance and excellent tically by China. Pakistan is thought
trainer jet, the KJ-500 early warning manoeuvrability at ultra-low alti- to be the first export customer for
aircraft, the Y-9E tactical transport tudes. “It has strong firepower, the Z-10ME, opting for the Chinese
aircraft and the Wing Loong series high battlefield survivability, and a type following the cancellation of
drones, just to name a small selec- good man-machine interface,” the its T129 attack helicopter buy from
tion of platforms. official observed. He added that Turkey.
AVIC/CATIC held the full Intellectual
Foreign Debut Property (IP) rights for the Z-10ME Chinese Next-Gen
and as a result were able to full
This year’s Singapore Air Show wit- Transfer of Technology (ToT) to In May, the Chinese media outlet
nessed a strong Chinese presence potential customers along with Global Times quoted a test pilot of
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY MAY - JULY 2024 | 37
