Z-20T Assault Helicopter to Debut at 7th China Helicopter Exposition

Multiple helicopters of the Chinese Army, including the Z-10 attack helicopter, the Z-20 utility helicopter, and the new Z-20T assault helicopter, arrived in Tianjin Municipality on October 12 to join the 7th China Helicopter Exposition.

The Z-20T will be making its public debut at the expo. It was first seen during the V-Day military parade in Beijing on September 3, when seven Z-20Ts and three Z-8L transport helicopters formed an aerial flag-bearing formation.

Derived from the baseline Z-20, the rotorcraft combines fire assault and transport roles. Pilot Zhang Jiayang told the army-controlled China Military Bugle that it has small wings to carry domestically developed missiles and an observation and targeting system at its nose for precision strikes.

The PLA Army is expected to present 52 helicopters, drones, and eVTOLs through static and flight displays, including the Z-10, Z-19, Z-20, Z-8L, and the KVD001 and KVD002 drones. The Z-20T will join the flight performances for the first time.
Wang Ya’nan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told Global Times last month that the Z-20 platform has wide operational potential, including shipborne variants.

The Z-20J, its naval version, debuted at Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai.
Military analyst Zhang Junshe said the Z-20J supports amphibious operations and can carry air-to-ground missiles, rockets, and guns while also performing transport and search-and-rescue missions.