Export variant of PLA Z-10ME gunship enters service as cooperation grows

Pakistan has recently commissioned its latest combat hardware — the Chinese-made Z-10ME attack helicopter, according to the Islamic republic's military publicity organ Inter Services Public Relations.

According to a statement and video clip published on Saturday by the ISPR, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's chief of army staff, presided over a ceremony of the Z-10ME helicopters' induction into the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps during a recent inspection tour of the Multan Garrison.

Munir personally inspected one of the newly delivered helicopters and sat inside the cockpit compartment to check flight — and weapons-control systems.

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Footage shows that the Z-10ME he checked had several Chinese weapons under its stub wings, including a CM-502 air-to-surface missile, a TY-90 air-to-air missile and a guided rocket launcher.

Attendees at the ceremony witnessed firepower demonstration by the Z-10ME helicopters at the Muzaffargarh Field Firing Ranges, according to the statement.

"This state-of-the-art, all-weather platform is capable of precision strike operations day and night. Equipped with advanced radar systems and cutting-edge electronic warfare suites, the Z-10ME significantly enhances the Army's capability to engage diverse aerial and ground threats," the ISPR said. "The induction of this potent system marks a major leap in the modernization of Army Aviation, reinforcing its integrated battlefield response and capacity to deliver decisive effects against potential adversaries."

The Z-10ME's predecessor, the Z-10 medium-weight, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter was designed by the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute, a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corp of China in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, primarily for anti-tank and anti-armor missions, but it also has a secondary air-to-air capability.

The helicopter made its maiden flight in April 2003 and started deliveries to the People's Liberation Army around the end of the 2000s.

So far, a large number of the Z-10's baseline and upgraded models have been deployed by the PLA Ground Force and PLA Air Force.

As its export variant, the Z-10ME was first shown to the public at the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in November 2022, indicating that it had received government approval for export and was ready for tests and scrutiny by potential users.

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According to China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp, AVIC's international trade wing, the Z-10ME is a 6-metric-ton class advanced attack helicopter that features round-the-clock combat capability. It can carry a wide variety of munitions, including air-to-air missiles, anti-tank missiles, guided rockets and a chin-mounted cannon.

Before the Z-10ME, the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps deployed two types of attack helicopters: 55 Bell AH-1 Cobras bought from the United States and four Russian Mil Mi-35s.

Contact the writer at zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn