Posted on 01/09/2014 9:35:08 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
January 9, 2014, 8:03 AM China’s newest military helicopter made its first flight on December 23 at a location in “northeastern China,” a site presumed to be the Harbin facility. The aircraft, believed to be designated Z-20, is in the “10-tonne” class, and is thought to be a collaborative effort among Harbin, Changhe and the 602 Institute. It closely resembles the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk that has been in Chinese army service for nearly three decades. The first public glimpse of the Z-20 came in August 2013, when the heavily wrapped fuselage was photographed being transported by road.
China acquired 24 Sikorsky S-70C-2s in the mid-1980s, and they were pressed into service with the army for missions in the mountainous regions of China, such as Tibet, where their high-altitude performance greatly impressed the People’s Liberation Army. With further supplies and spares support from the U.S. cut off after 1989, the army began acquiring sizeable numbers of Mi-17/171s from Russia, while Changhe began to reverse-engineer parts to keep the S-70 fleet flying. This work, and access to live examples, allowed the Z-20 design team to draw heavily on the Sikorsky helicopter. Some sources allege that Pakistan allowed Chinese engineers access to the heavily modified Black Hawk destroyed during the bin Laden raid.
Although strikingly similar to the S-70, the Z-20 exhibits some differences, the most notable of which is a five-blade main rotor instead of the Black Hawk’s four-blade unit. Compared with the Black Hawk’s, the Z-20’s cabin is longer and wider, while the main rotor head appears to be positioned farther aft, making the forward fuselage seem longer than that of the S-70. The undercarriage and tail also show differences.
In terms of powerplant and dynamics, it is likely that the Z-20 draws on the same technology as employed in the Z-10 attack helicopter. Both have their roots in the China Medium Helicopter (CMH) program of the late 1990s, for which Western help was received. The prototype Z-20 may be powered by the indigenous WZ-6C turboshaft, with the more powerful (1800 kW) WZ-10 slated for production machines.
Development of a utility helicopter that can be used for assault, fire support, electronic warfare and special-operations missions is seen as important to the development of PLA Army Aviation. However, it is understood that the development of the Z-20 was delayed while the design team focused on the higher priority Z-10. As well as augmenting and expanding the army’s helicopter fleet, the Z-20 could also find a use at sea, particularly aboard the aircraft carrier Liaoning.
BTTT!
Google DF-21D Carrier Killer ballistic missile and tell me if you still think the Chinese aren’t a threat.
They are a threat fed by US government and businesses since 1970s. If not for a free trade crap it could have been still ox and cart.
We can thank the Clintoooooons for all the progress China has made in its military powers, after all they gave the Chinese the blueprints.
In fact you can track that back to Nixon.
China purchased 24 S-70 from Sirkosky before Tiennamen Square and the embargo. They were purchased to operate at the higher altitudes possible with the S-70.
The have now created this, which does have some changes.
1) Five blade rotor instead of four.
2) Different tail rotor assembly.
3) Different landing gear.
4) Larger cabin.
So, they have made it their own, though it is clearly based on those S-70s they purchased.
The PLA Army Aviation Corps operates around 20 Sikorsky S-70C transport helicopters, which are known as the UH-60 Black Hawk in the U.S. Army. The PLA purchased these helicopters from the U.S. in the mid-1980s. Despite the speculations that the PLA faced some difficulties in obtaining the necessary spares to keep these helicopters operational as a result of the U.S. sanction after 1989, some, if not all, of these helicopters remain in active service with PLA today for tactical transport roles.
The purchase of the 24 Sikorsky S-70C Black Hawk multirole army helicopters is one of the most notable military cooperation programmes between China and the U.S. in the 1980s honeymoon of their relations. To help China modernise its ground forces against the Soviet Army, the U.S. offered its army helicopter to the PLA. Two major U.S. helicopter manufacturers, Bell and Sikorsky, were chosen as main bidders for an immediate deal of 20~30 helicopters, and a possible purchase of over 100 additional units afterwards.
Sikorsky sent one of its newest S-70C Black Hawk (known as UH-60 in the U.S. Army) multirole helicopter as a counter to the Bell 204 (known as UH-1 in the U.S. Army). Both helicopters flew in most regions of China, including Tibet which is infamous for its harsh weather conditions. Eventually the PLA chose S-70C and a deal of 24 helicopters were delivered to the PLA Air Force in 1985. In 1987 these helicopters were handed over to the newly founded Army Aviation Corps.
Both Sikorsky and the PLA expected deals of additional helicopters after the successful deployment of the initial batch of the S-70C in China. 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. Unconfirmed reports indicated in 1992 that these helicopters were offered for sale, but it appeared that the PLA managed to keep them flying. In 1997 and 2002, Sikorsky tried to persuade the U.S. government to waive the sanctions, but was rejected by the White House.
Today the S-70Cs are still used by the PLA, and were spotted in many occasions during the military exercises in the 1990s. They appear often in the PLA’s publicity photos and video images of Army exercises, and have been reported to be flying in high-altitude locations in Tibet. At least 3 helicopters have been lost due to bad weather and pilot faults. As these helicopters begin to reach their flying life hours in the coming years, they are likely going to replaced by the Russian Mi-17V5 in the future.
Design The S-70Cs in service with the PLA are generally identical to the UH-60s in the U.S. Army, apart from their specially-designed gear box which were derived from the SH-60 Sea Hawk.
The S-70C is equipped with two General Electric T700-701A turboshaft engines. The internal fuel tanks have a capacity of 1,360 litres. Auxiliary fuel can be carried with 1,400 litres in two internal fuel tanks and 1,740 litres externally.
The S-70 is equipped with a voice and data communications suite including VHF, UHF communications. The S-70Cs sold to China were specially enhanced with the LTN3100VLF weather radar accommodated in the under-nose radome.
The cabin provides accommodation for eleven fully equipped troops or four litters (stretcher patients) with a medical officer for medical evacuation missions. The cabin is equipped with a ventilation and heating system. The S-70 can carry external loads up to 4,072kg on the cargo hook -- for example, a 155mm howitzer. The main cabin can be cleared of troop seats for transportation of cargo.
The PLA Army Aviation Corps operates around 20 Sikorsky S-70C transport helicopters, which are known as the UH-60 Black Hawk in the U.S. Army. The PLA purchased these helicopters from the U.S. in the mid-1980s. Despite the speculations that the PLA faced some difficulties in obtaining the necessary spares to keep these helicopters operational as a result of the U.S. sanction after 1989, some, if not all, of these helicopters remain in active service with PLA today for tactical transport roles.
The purchase of the 24 Sikorsky S-70C Black Hawk multirole army helicopters is one of the most notable military cooperation programmes between China and the U.S. in the 1980s honeymoon of their relations. To help China modernise its ground forces against the Soviet Army, the U.S. offered its army helicopter to the PLA. Two major U.S. helicopter manufacturers, Bell and Sikorsky, were chosen as main bidders for an immediate deal of 20~30 helicopters, and a possible purchase of over 100 additional units afterwards.
Sikorsky sent one of its newest S-70C Black Hawk (known as UH-60 in the U.S. Army) multirole helicopter as a counter to the Bell 204 (known as UH-1 in the U.S. Army). Both helicopters flew in most regions of China, including Tibet which is infamous for its harsh weather conditions. Eventually the PLA chose S-70C and a deal of 24 helicopters were delivered to the PLA Air Force in 1985. In 1987 these helicopters were handed over to the newly founded Army Aviation Corps.
Both Sikorsky and the PLA expected deals of additional helicopters after the successful deployment of the initial batch of the S-70C in China. 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. Unconfirmed reports indicated in 1992 that these helicopters were offered for sale, but it appeared that the PLA managed to keep them flying. In 1997 and 2002, Sikorsky tried to persuade the U.S. government to waive the sanctions, but was rejected by the White House.
Today the S-70Cs are still used by the PLA, and were spotted in many occasions during the military exercises in the 1990s. They appear often in the PLA’s publicity photos and video images of Army exercises, and have been reported to be flying in high-altitude locations in Tibet. At least 3 helicopters have been lost due to bad weather and pilot faults. As these helicopters begin to reach their flying life hours in the coming years, they are likely going to replaced by the Russian Mi-17V5 in the future.
Design The S-70Cs in service with the PLA are generally identical to the UH-60s in the U.S. Army, apart from their specially-designed gear box which were derived from the SH-60 Sea Hawk.
The S-70C is equipped with two General Electric T700-701A turboshaft engines. The internal fuel tanks have a capacity of 1,360 litres. Auxiliary fuel can be carried with 1,400 litres in two internal fuel tanks and 1,740 litres externally.
The S-70 is equipped with a voice and data communications suite including VHF, UHF communications. The S-70Cs sold to China were specially enhanced with the LTN3100VLF weather radar accommodated in the under-nose radome.
The cabin provides accommodation for eleven fully equipped troops or four litters (stretcher patients) with a medical officer for medical evacuation missions. The cabin is equipped with a ventilation and heating system. The S-70 can carry external loads up to 4,072kg on the cargo hook -- for example, a 155mm howitzer. The main cabin can be cleared of troop seats for transportation of cargo.
Please, stop making sense. It seems like you are arguing with a full-blown communist.
Had no idea!
Why was China allowed to buy Blackhawks in the first place?
Koreans and Japanese have bad blood between them, but China as a common problem makes them work together like allies at times.
There has to be some way to create a triple alliance with Japan and China, with the US in the center of it all. It would be a perfect way of making the US powerful while at the same time, at least publicly binding the Chinese and Japanese to a peaceful accord.
..................
No this doesn’t cut it. Why would there be a triple alliance. who would the USA china and japan ally against. russia? korea? australia? india?
No. China is confronting all the countries on its periphery. even the russians are uneasy.
the most dangerous place is the south china sea where there are overlapping territorial claims. these issues have become urgent as the chinese look for more energy resources for their population. its believed that there is a lot of oil/gas in the south china sea. the problem could be more peacefully solved if energy could be got from other sources easily...like thorium lftr reactors or natural gas on china’s mainland. (china is said to have the largest deposits of natural gas in the world—mostly in their norther provinces.)
True that China pays the bad guy that allows Japan and Korea to cooperate. Now who plays the enemy that allows China and Japan to cooperate? Nobody. Sure Japanese business has utilized Chinese manufacturing, but there will always be a state of soft cold war.
On one hand you say they are satanically clever and will use WMD against us, then you say we need to ally with them?
we already have several very strong alliances in the Pacific to ensure the freedom of commerce and safety on the Sea. One is our involvement in the ASEAN alliance, another is our individual alliances with Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
India is also rising and modernizing their fleet and increasing its size because of their own concerns about China. We are making more and more overtures to them and what is really needed is an alliance of the representative governments in the Western and Southern Pacific to include India. In essesnce we already do...but it should be an entire alliance of all of us together. The US, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines and Singapore. Those nations together are capable of outstripping anything China can do...particularly if we ourselves stop feeding China’s maw.
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