China’s First Heavy Attack Helicopter Demonstrates High Flight Performance: What Makes the Z-20T Uniquely Versatile?

China’s first heavyweight attack helicopter the Z-20T, which was developed to complement the Z-10, has been featured in flight demonstrations at the 7th China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin. The new aircraft made its first public appearance during a military parade on September 3, and combines an airlift capability with integrated firepower in a single airframe. The manoeuvres performed included including hovering turns and O-shaped landings, which highlighted the aircraft’s applicability in a number of real-world combat operations. Elaborating on the Z-20T’s role, deputy chief designer at the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute Zhu Minfeng said it was designed to “assault transport and airlift operations in mountainous, forested, and urban areas,” and was able to “strike high-value enemy targets, counter both ground and aerial threats in plain and plateau regions, and provide fire support for ground forces.”

Preceding the Z-20’s development only Russia and the United States had produced similarly heavyweight attack helicopters, the former with the Mi-24, Mi-28, Mi-35, Ka-50 and Ka-52, and the latter with the AH-64 Apache. Rather than a clean sheet design, however, the new Chinese was developed as a variant of the Z-20 medium-lift utility helicopter which had first been brought into service in 2019. The Z-20T is far less heavily armoured and well optimised to combat roles than its American and Russian counterparts, although its utility is significant greater. As observed by Zhu, who compared the Z-20T with the lighter Z-10: “If the mission solely involves attack tasks, the Z-10 attack helicopter is the optimal choice… If there is a need to conduct airlift operations and troop transport in addition to attack tasks, the Z-20T, which combines transport capacity with air-to Com-ground capabilities, can be employed.”

Elaborating on the advantages of the Z-20T’s design over those of other attack helicopter, Zhu emphasised that its ability to conduct both personnel transport and direct fire missions without relying separate escort helicopters gave it a major edge. “The Z-20T assault helicopter achieves ‘multi-functionality with one aircraft,’ meaning that it can both transport troops and independently conduct fire strikes to ensure the safety of the entire flight process,” he observed. This mirrors the role of the Russian Mi-35, which was developed by modifying the Soviet Mi-24 attack helicopter design to allow it to be configured with a limited troop transport capability. Using a design that was developed as an attack helicopter from the outset, however, the Mi-35’s personnel and cargo carrying capacities are significantly lower than that of the Z-20, although its armour protection and firepower are estimated to be superior.