China Displays Drone Deploying Z-11WB Light Attack Helicopter At Zhuhai 2016

China’s Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is showcasing Z-11WB Light Attack Helicopter capable of carrying SW-6 (Sky Wing 6) air deployable tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the starboard side at the on-going Zhuhai Air Show 2016.

AVIC subsidiary Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) developed Z-11WB helicopter is the weaponised variant of the civilian model Z-11. The helicopter appears to be based on the Eurocopter AS 350B Ecureui, IHS Janes reported Wednesday.

CAIC claims to have full intellectual property rights on Z-11 design and has achieved its maiden flight in September last year.

The helicopter has a payload of 976 kg and can accommodate range of weapons and equipment available. Z-11 displayed at Zhuhai features pintle mount weapons comprising the Norinco 40 mm LG3 automatic grenade launcher (AGL) and 7.62x54 mm CS/LM12 six-barrelled minigun, the news weekly reported.

Weapon pylons on either side of the fuselage are shown with a quad launcher with TL-2 (Tian Lei 2) air-to-surface missiles on the port side, and the new AG-300/M air-to-ground missile and SW-6 (Sky Wing 6) air deployable tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the starboard side.

Other weapons shown with the Z-11WB exhibit include the TY-90 air-to-air missile, the CM-502KG air-to-surface missile, the Red Arrow 8 (HJ-8) and Blue Arrow 7 (export HJ-10) anti-armour missiles, and the FT-9 and YZ-212D laser-guided precision bombs.