What Happened to China's 'Apache Attack Helicopter' ?

This is China’s Z-10 the People’s Liberation Army's signature attack helicopter, also known as Fierce Thunderbolt. Some experts call it the Chinese Apache. Meanwhile the PLA even claim it’s better than their western counterparts. It does bear a striking resemblance to the American Apache but are they close siblings or distant kissin’ cousins? China claims this is their first domestically produced attack helicopter but we’ll see that’s not exactly true. Does the Z-10 really have the latest S-tier improvements in weaponry and avionics? I’m your average infantryman Chris Cappy hit that like and subscribe button and let's find out.

Written by: Chris Cappy & Armando Duarte Galan

By 2016, the PLA announced that they had equipped all of its ground force aviation units with the Z-10. Chinese culture is known for their emphasis on symbolism and their attack helicopters are no different. Because their 2016 delivery marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the PLA’s aviation force.

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Task & Purpose is a military news and culture oriented channel. We want to foster discussion about the defense industry.

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[Taskandpurpose]

Follow the true story of the “Bloody 100th” of the 8th Air Force as they battle it out in the skies over Europe in #MastersOfTheAir only on Apple TV+ January 26th apple.co/41X5fVF

[scottmason]

Taiwan is not a part of China! It is a independent country

[Soupy_loopy]

OMG, I never heard the whole story about Pratt & Whitney selling to China. I worked for a UTC company at the time, and all of a sudden we had to start export control classification of everything. We were making air conditioners, so it seemed ridiculous. But the people who explained why made it sound like someone accidentally shared something with China they weren't supposed to. This doesn't sound like an accident at all though.

[johnsilver]

Apache AH-64E only has 4 hardpoints. Main difference from previous D version it has a new engine and composite rotor blades giving it a higher payload capacity thus allowing it to carry its long bow radar. Otherwise if has both long bow radar and 6 hard points it will be too heavy.

[quotehavenlife]

i like the way on the intro that he said "distant kissing cousins"

[davidsimmons]

The one thing that this video overlooked is that the marine corps chose the cobra for a reason. The cobra is simpler to operate and 4 to 5 times more cost effective. For example the maintenance hour to flight hour is is 1/8 that of the Apache. The fuel burn rate 2/3 more efficient and offer a similar time on station and better performance at low altitudes which are the only reason for its existence. Now to say that the Apache is apex of rotary wing attack platforms is an understatement. I'm not going to pull a warthunder and blab specifics but some of the lesser known capabilities of the Apache really put into perspective on how much more advanced the US is compared to any adversary.

[alihasnain]

4 z10 were given to Pakistan by china earlier for trials. Pakistan conducted extensive tests and trials on it and finally returned them back due to some issues. Pakistan had reportedly identified 30 or so issues and suggested many improvements which were included in Z10me version and now Pakistan has placed a significant order for them. China gave these helicopters to Pakistan for extreme testing because of Pakistan's 4 decades of experience with American cobra attack helicopters which saw a lot of combat in Pakistan's mountainous regions.

[CheapCheerful]

"Because those engines are strong, independent engines that don't need no pilot to tell them what to do!". Man, you are freakin hilarious.

[twc]

1. I've never heard of a FADEC engine that didn't have manual over ride. It could be true. It would make it more simple to manufacture and require less training for the pilots, but also less control in case of a FADEC failure.
2. The 90 degree upward exhaust ports actually decrease power available by about 4%. Their purpose is to disperse the hot exhaust so the aircraft is less suseptible to heat seeking missles.

The Apache struggled with a dismal operational ready rate for the first 20 years and the newer D models and E models are significantly more capable in terms of reliability, armament and power than the A models. China is not known for producing reliable products and I suspect the same can be expected in their aviation industry, especially for a new aircraft.

[johnsteiner]

It's important to understand that it wasn't the U.K., France, Italy, or other countries helped China, but that profit-driven private corporations helped. _That's_ the real problem.

[lupiarch]

The irony of it is that the weapons they help create and build are now pointed against them.

[johnb]

New to the channel, you do a great job.

[TheFarsideSon]

I’m not all the way through the video so I’m not sure if you touch on this. But part of the reason why attack helicopters became so important for China in the 1990s is because of the effect U.S. helicopters had on Iraqi armor in Desert Storm. Chinese military officers write about this in a series of essay that is now a book called “Unrestricted Warfare”

[downinla]

The Apache is modified to be used at sea by the British, so if the US wanted to, it could make the same modiications to make sea worthy Apaches. Of course due to the US industrial military complex, instead of taking the existing work of its closest ally for basically free, it has to give Boeing millions just to due the same work that the Brits already did.

[iwojima]

Great video, just one quick note/correction regarding their navigation system you mentioned, called The BeiDou. The BeiDou is already operational for a long time and constellation has more satellites than GPS or any other system. It also has more than ten times the monitoring stations in other countries than have been deployed for GPS. Also satellites are of newer generation than GPS satellites .As a result BeiDou's accuracy is much better.

[larryt]

Helicopters can be useful. The case with Raisi is a proof.

[BenVaserlan]

After its first flight the Apache took 11 years to enter service. Now no one complains about how long it took. It's the end product that matters. Update: The Flanker also took a long time to develop. There was a big redesign. T-10 to T-10S. Flanker A to B.

[gogogomes]

Now that's a sponsor segment you can be proud to make.

[AnnoyingCat]

master of the air is the best WWII series that i've watched!! <3

[weifan]

Z-10 looks more like the Eurocopter Tiger rather than the Apache in my opinion.