China’s Z-10 Attack Helicopter Upgraded with Powerful Engine

China’s military has revealed an upgraded Z-10 attack helicopter with a more powerful engine with reduced infrared signal.

The latest Z-10 ‘s engine has its exhaust openings facing upward instead of outward like the early model, reported Weihutang, a column on military affairs, state media reported.

The upgraded Z-10 participated in a military exercise with the PLA's 80th Group Army on February 8, according to official photos uploaded on the military's WeChat account.

With the exhaust from engines pointed upward instead of outward can lower the helicopter's infrared signal, and weapons like infrared guided missiles will less likely lock on to the helicopter. However, this design will increase drag force, raising the power requirement for the helicopter's engines.

This explains that the engine is more powerful and taken from the export version of the Z-10, the Z-10ME, also featured this design.

With more powerful engines, the Z-10 could also carry more protective armor plates, payloads and even install an additional millimeter wave fire control radar on top of its rotor for longer attack range and higher accuracy, various state media reported.