Planned to make its debut at the Zhuhai Airshow, which opens on 13 November and runs until 18 November, the CAIC (Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation) WZ-10 is the Chinese equivalent of the West's most fearsome attack helicopters, including the Boeing AH-64 Apache series and the Eurocopter Tigre.
Detailed data on the WZ-10 Chinese attack helicopter programme is limited but it's thought work on the design first started in the mid-late 1980s and that the prototype made its first flight as long ago as 2003. The WZ-10 is then believed to have entered PLAAF (People's Liberation Army Air Force) service two years ago.
The WZ-10 is operated by a crew of two and, besides its nose-mounted cannon, can probably also be loaded with air-to-air and air-to-tank missiles. The first Chinese attack helicopter to have been designed to work in the anti-tank, battlefield interdiction and attack roles, it's also seemingly a true multirole design.
It's possible that the CAIC WZ-10 helicopter is fly-by wire-controlled and that its pilots wear head-mounted HUD (Head-Up Display) systems. Like the Apache and the Tigre, a key feature is its narrow fuselage, giving it a slim head-on profile and minimising its presence on enemy radar screens.
China has been working on several significant military programmes of late. It recently launched its first aircraft carrier and unveiled a second J-20 fighter variant, placing it among a handful of nations with stealth-enhanced combat aircraft in operation.
The Zhuhai Airshow is a biannual event staged every two years since 1996. A showcase for the Chinese aerospace industry at large, it also attracts significant foreign participation, including regular Russian involvement.
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