“Red Hawk”: PLA New Multi-role Helicopter Exposed

For years, Chinese PLA has been suffering for lacking of reliable medium utility helicopter, like U.S. “Black Hawk”. However, this situation will be changed in 2013 or 2014, because some secret photos of PLA New 10-ton class multi-role helicopter have appeared on Chinese Internet. According to these images, PLA has two dominated types of 10-ton class multi-role helicopter. It is ironical that Type I is similar to U.S. “Black Hawk” and the Type II looks as the twin brother of Europe NH-90 helicopter.

It is said that the 10-ton class multi-role helicopter project was initiated in 2010 and is to make trail flight in 2014. Besides, China is developing a 13-ton class large multi-role helicopter and has made joint venture with Russia to develop 20-ton level heavy helicopter.

In 1980s, the purchase of the 24 Sikorsky S-70C Black Hawk multi-role army helicopters is one of the most notable military cooperation programmes between China and the U.S. in the 1980s honeymoon of their relations. However, after the 1989 incident, the U.S. government froze all military relations with China. The remaining helicopters in the PLA were also hardly well maintained due to the difficulty in obtaining necessary spare parts from the United States.

According to the latest statistics, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Corps forces now have five helicopter brigades and five helicopter regiments, equipped with a total of 569 helicopters, including 212 m-17 series of helicopters, 19 s70 “Blackhawk” helicopters, 33 z8 helicopters, 269 Z-9 helicopters, 24 Z-10 helicopters and 12 Z-19 helicopter.