People’s Liberation Army’s most advanced attack helicopter crashed. After netizens leaked the picture on Chinese social media, PLA’s defence officials confirmed the news after hesitation. Reportedly China has grounded the entire Z-10 fleet due to major flaws with structural strength at high speed. Pakistan revived 3 of these attack helicopters earlier.
A Z-10 helicopter reported having crashed earlier this week. Both pilots are safe. Investigation to be carried out soon. Sources closer to People liberation Army of defence-update on the Facebook page has noted. But the main source of the news in the Chinese social media claimed that both the pilots were killed or very critically wounded. The picture shared on Chinese social media also shows no possibility of survival.
These are helicopters, they don’t come with emergency parachute-like fighter jets. The picture which has gone viral on Chinese social media shows the chopper must have crashed at very high downwards acceleration. It’s more like a splash than a minor crash the Chinese want us to believe.
The CAIC Z-10, also called WZ-10, is a Chinese medium attack helicopter developed for the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force. It is designed primarily for anti-tank warfare missions but has secondary air-to-air combat capability as well.
China’s Army Ground Forces have ordered 118 with 106 delivered, and 12 more to go, as of 2018. The Pakistan Army acquired 3 units for evaluation with a follow-up order for 7 more, but in 2017 they opted for the TAI/AgustaWestland T129 and plan to manufacture aircraft parts in Pakistan. Just imagine the quality, when a beggar like Pakistan doesn’t want to operate a Chinese helicopter even it comes free of cost as a donation or soft loan.
