Basic Information

Name

WZ-10 (Z-10) Chinese Attack Helicopter

Designation

CAIC Z-10, WZ-10, Fierce Thunderbolt

Alternate Designation

CAIC Z-10, WZ-10, Fierce Thunderbolt

Equipment Type

Attack Helicopter

Manufacturer

—

Date of Introduction

2012

Description

WZ-10 (Z-10) Chinese Attack Helicopter is an attack helicopter under development in China. It is designed primarily for anti-tank and battlefield interdiction operations, with a secondary air-to-air capability. It is said to be in the same class as the AgustaWestland A129 Mangusta, Denel Rooivalk, and Eurocopter Tiger. The Z-10 has a conventional attack helicopter layout with the pilot and weapon system operator sitting in tandem, stepped cockpits. The helicopter has a five-blade main rotor and a four-blade tail rotor. It has two engines, each in a pod aft of the cockpit. The fuselage has sloped sides in a diamond configuration to reduce the aircraft's radar cross-section.

Air & Air Defense Specifications

Crew 2

Engine 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C turboshaft (1531 hp)

Service Ceiling 6400 m

Variants

Z-10ME Upgraded variant first unveiled in 2018 with active and passive countermeasures, missile approach warning system, radar warning receiver, new engine exhaust nozzle pointed upwards to reduce infrared signature, new intake filtration systems and armor panels, more powerful 1200 kW engine, larger ammunition magazine, appliqué graphene-based armor panels, infrared jammer, and a new IFF interrogator.

Z-10H Pre-production series powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-76 turboshaft engine.

Z-10K Simplified Z-10H powered with domestic Chinese WZ-9 engine of 930 - 950 kW range. Due to the drastic reduction of power by nearly a third, MASWS, IRCM, and some other subsystems removed； armor is also greatly reduced to save weight.

Z-10M 3 samples built for Pakistan with equipment missing in Z-10K added back, powered by WZ-9C engine with maximum power around 1000 - 1100 kW. Was not selected by Pakistan after evaluation, but the design was used to upgrade Z-10 built earlier when a more powerful engine became available.

Z-10 Millimeter Wave Radar Equipped with Z-19's millimeter wave radar for ground testing.

System

Alternative Designation CAIC Z-10, WZ-10, Fierce Thunderbolt

Type Attack Helicopter

Function Attack, Anti-Tank, Air-to-Air

Crew 2 ea

Blades, Main Rotor 5

Blades, Tail Rotor 4

Number of Engines 2

Night/Weather Capabilities All weather capable within the commander's risk assessment

Takeoff Limitations INA

Vertical Clime Rate INA

Number of Hard Points 4 ea

YH Millimetre-Wave Fire-Control Radar Yes

Helmet mounted sight with night vision goggles Yes

Dimensions

Length 14.2 m

Width 4.3 m

Height 3.8 m

Main Rotor Diameter 12 m

Weight, Combat 5,500 kg

Weight, Payload (Max) 1,500 kg

Weight, Empty 5,100 kg

Weight, Maximum Take Off 7,257 kg

Automotive

Engine Type 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C turboshaft

Engine Power 1,531 hp (1,142 kW) each

Cruising Range 800 km

Speed, Maximum 300 km/h

Speed, Average 250 km/h

Service Ceiling 6,400 m

Climb Rate >10 m/s

Communications

Radio INA

Armament

Notes Due to its modular design concept, Z-10 can be armed with a wide variety of weaponry. The adaptation of the Chinese GJV289A standard, the Chinese equivalent of the MIL-STD-1553B databus architecture, enables weaponry of both Soviet and western origin to be adopted by Z-10. Offensive weaponry consists of machine guns, cannons, rockets, and missiles. The stub wings have two hardpoints each for a total of four, each hardpoint being able to carry up to 4 missiles for a total of up to 16.

23mm Automatic Chain Gun (Chin Mounted-Option 1)

Name Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23

Location Chin Mounted

Caliber 23 mm

Barrels 2 ea

Number of Rounds 2,000 ea

Armor Penetration Yes

Muzzle Velocity 715 m/s

Muzzle Break Yes

Maximum Effective Range 200-1,800 m

Rate of Fire 3,400-3,600 rds/m

25mm M242 Bushmaster (Chin Mounted-Option 2)

Location Chin Mounted

Type Similar to the 25 mm chain gun found in the US Bradley Fighting Vehicle

Caliber 25 mm

Number of Rounds 2,000

Maximum Effective Range 3,000 m

Muzzle Velocity 1,100 m/s

Armor Penetration Yes

Barrels Single Barrel (Progressive RH parabolic Twist)

Rate of Fire Cyclic: 200rpm with 1hp or 500rpm with 8hp

Notes: A wide range of ammunition has been developed for this weapon, providing it with the capability to defeat the majority of armored vehicles it is likely to encounter, up to and including some light tanks. Primarily though, it fires six types of rounds: the M791, M792, M793, M910, MK210, and M919.

14.5 mm Gatling Gun (Chin Mounted-Option 3)

Location Chin Mounted

Caliber 14.5 mm

Maximum Effective Range 3,000 m

Muzzle Velocity 1,000 m/s

Armor Penetration Yes

Rate of Fire 600 rpm

Basic Load 40 Round Belt

Notes: BS: Armor-piercing incendiary; B-32: Armor-piercing incendiary full metal jacket round with a hardened steel core; BZT: Armor-piercing incendiary tracer full metal jacket round with a steel core; MDZ: High-explosive incendiary bullet of instant action; ZP: Incendiary tracer round

HJ-9 Anti-Tank Missile (Wing Mounted-Option 1)

Location Wing Mounted

Length 1,200 mm

Diameter 152 mm

Weight 37 kg

Engine Rocket Motor

Warhead Tandem HEAT warhead, 1100-1200 mm penetration RHAe

Detonation Mechanism Contact Fuse

Guidance System Laser-beam-riding & MMW Radar

Operational Range 100 - 5,500 m

Combat Load INA

Notes Additional Guided and Unguided Missisles include: HJ-8, HJ-9, PL-9, AIM-9 Sidewinder

HJ-10 Anti-Tank Missile (Wing Mounted-Option 2)

Location Wing Mounted

Length INA

Weight 50 kg

Warhead Heat and others

Engine Propellant Solid Fuel

Operational Range 3-10 km

Speed Supersonic

Guidance System Fiber-optic wire-guided missile (AFT-10) semi-active laser homing and millimeter wave radar seeker (AKD-10) Infrared homing

Aircraft Capible to Carry 16 ea

TY-90 Air-to-Air Missiles (Wing Mounted-Option 2)

Location Wing Mounted

Length 1.9 m

Diameter 90 mm

Weight, Warhead 3 kg

Detonation Mechansim Impact/Proximity

Engine Propllant Soldi Fuel

Operational Range 0.5-6 km

Flight Ceiling 6 km

Flight Alitude 0-6 km

Speed 2 Mach

Guidance System ImiR IR

Aircraft Capible to Carry 16 ea

Protection

Fuselage INA

Cockpit Glass Glass is rated to protect against 7.62mm rounds

Stealth Properties Yes, fuselage is designed to reduce radar cross section

Heat Signature Reduction INA

Armor Cockpit and fuselage have armor plating, providing protection against 12.7mm rounds.

Add on Armor On Oct 10th, 2018, the Global Times reported that additional graphene (strong and lightweight material) had been added to the fuselage to protect key components, fuel cells, and the cockpit.

NBC Protection Yes

EW Counter Measures/CCM Radar receiving warning, laser receiving warning, infrared jammer, missile approach warning sensors (MAWS) and dispensers for chaff and flares.

Engine Exhaust Directed slightly up into rotor wash to reduce heat signature

Counter Measures (Chaf/Flares) Yes

Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) Systems Yes

Laser Designator and Rangefinder Yes

Missile Approach Warning Sensors (MAWS) Yes, located behind the nose

Fire Control

Fire Control System Type Fly-by-wire (fully automatic)

Fire Control Radar YH millimeter-wave fire control radar

Cockpit "Glass" cockpit (fully automated) with digital multi-function displays

Digitial or Analog Cockpit Digital

Direct Fire Control Yes

Laser Disignator Yes

Automated Helmet Yes, helmet mounted cueing system with heads up display and weapons control. NVG capable.

Sensor Suites(s) Available Fitted to the nose and includes a TV camera, FLIR, laser designator, and range finder.

Position Location System Yes

CVI: WEFT

Wings 5 x main rotor blades.

Engine 2 x engines. Engine exhausts on both sides of fuselage.

Fuselage Angular shaped tandem pilot canopies. Target sight system. Chin-mounted 30mm chain gun. Short, aerodynamic wing weapon load mount points, Fixed, wheeled landing gear.

Tail Tail rotor assembly features two pairs at unequal distance (located on right side of vertical stabilizer). Include tail stabilizer wings.

Image Sources

Notes https://sputnikglobe.com/20150911/china-new-generation-attack-helicopter-1026882879.html; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Z-10K.jpg; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WZ-10.jpg;