'helicopter-10') is a Chinese medium-weight, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter built by the Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Ground Force.

Nevertheless, China successfully imported or licensed aircraft types such as Changhe Z-8, Harbin Z-9, Sikorsky S-70, Mi-17, and Aerospatiale AS332 Super Puma.

Eventually, the PLAGF won and began to induct armed helicopters based on the Harbin Z-9 design.

[5] After the US government cut off engine sources from Pratt & Whitney, China turned to domestic replacements with lower thrust-rating, leading to further weight-saving design changes.

[14] In March 2014, the Z-10 helicopter began deck trials with a People's Liberation Army Navy Type 072A-class landing ship.

[21][22] The PLAGF's domestic Z-10 fleet were upgraded to the Z-10ME standard with the 1,200 kW (1,600 shp) engines, armor plates, and infrared suppression nozzles.

[9][27] This slim, rhombic configuration ensures structural strength, increases internal volumes for equipment, and reduces the frontal projected area and overall radar cross section (RCS).

[27][28] The radar-absorbent material is applied to the fuselage, further reducing the radar reflection and providing a certain degree of low observability.

All blades are made with carbon fiber-wrapped spars with layered honeycomb composite for the skin, capable of sustaining damage against 12.7 mm (0.50 in) rounds.

[3][16] The cockpit compartment is wrapped inside carbon fibers, while the canopy is protected by bulletproof glasses of 38 mm (1.5 in) in thickness.

[16] Additional protection layers made of aluminum alloy and kevlar are applied to the bottom of the cockpit, side of the engine bays, and around the self-sealing fuel tank.

[27] The honeycomb composite layer is applied to the fuselage bottom, while the pilot seats, landing gears, and fuel tank are reinforced for improved crashworthiness.

[27][28] The early model of Z-10 prioritizes protection in critical areas for weight reduction without sacrificing structural integrity, range, and payload.

In later serial production, graphene armor plates are mounted on the side of the cockpit and engine housing to further improve the protection level.

[16] Newer variants can be installed with integrated inlet particle separators (IPS) for engine intake filtration, preventing harmful solid particulates such as sand and dust to damage the critical propulsion components.

[27] Later serial production of Z-10 modified the engine nozzle from sideway-facing to the upward-facing direction, further reducing the signature from heat radiation.

[27][35] The reduced performance of WZ-9 turboshaft engines prevented Z-10 to carry its maximum payload of 16 anti-tank guided missiles.

[27] The system was upgraded on later variants with a different avionics layout,[20] replacing previously mounted radar and electro-optical sensors with integrated countermeasure suite, indicated by several active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar panels around the fuselage and two electro-optical suites mounted on the stub wings.

[21] The radar panels are capable of passive signal detection, target searching, and active jamming, which also replace the function of missile approach warning system.

[16] The helmet sight is fully integrated with FCS to control guided and unguided munitions and display onboard navigation information.

[38] Early AKD-10 utilizes semi-active laser (SAL) guidance, while later variants reportedly incorporate millimeter wave (MMW) seekers.

[16] For other types of payloads, the Z-10 can carry a KG300G self-defense electronic warfare (EW) pod, providing organic survivability for frontline ELINT and ESM defense.

[58] The EW pod features a stealth enclosure, and is capable of providing multi-target jamming, spectrum searching, and digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) signal processing.

Pakistan then chose Turkey's AH-1Z; however, contracts to acquire the AH-1Z and then the TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK (which uses the American LHTEC CTS800–4A engine) fell through because of worsening relations with the United States.

[26] According to Boneham of Janes Information Services, the advantages of the Z-10ME were its capabilities and affordability, when compared with similar Western platforms.

[36] Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute believed the Z-10ME offered the capability gap of operating air-launched UAVs, and potential candidates included Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, etc.

[69] While the Chinese defense ministry denied that China bought or used the software, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Hamilton Sundstrand agreed to pay more than $75 million to the U.S. government to settle the charges.

[70] Islamic Republic of Pakistan Data from Military Digest [76]General characteristics Performance Armament Avionics