2024-03-29 01:56:42
Beijing: Boosting the strength of its Air Force, China has added a new heavyweight, Z-20 combat helicopter to its aerial arsenal. It has more strength than its predecessors Z-10 and Z-19 with a strong capacity of 10 tons. This is an important step towards China’s military modernization. Developed by Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation, the Z-20’s design matches the US military’s advanced AH-64 Apache. Chinese President Xi Jinping also had a special eye on this helicopter. Jinping had visited helicopter manufacturing facilities in Jiangxi in October last year.
According to TOI, China’s new lethal helicopter is being seen by military analysts as a key element in potential conflicts involving Taiwan or India. A report in the South China Morning Post said Yoon Suk-jun of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs highlighted the potential of the Z-20 series to parallel US military helicopters. It can perform well especially in high altitude areas. This can prove important for China in the border hilly areas.
This helicopter will be effective in hilly areas
The SCMP report said the strategic deployment of these helicopters could create “dangerous implications for Taiwan and India”, especially from the vantage point of the Western Theater Command. Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says China is arming itself with more formidable attack helicopters for cross-strait operations against Taiwan and high-altitude activities along the Line of Actual Control with India. After the strategic edition of Z-20, it is being called Z-21.
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Lu Li-shih of Taiwan’s former Naval Academy says the Z-21’s ability to navigate the challenging terrain of Taiwan’s central mountain range and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will come in handy in mountainous terrain. Making the Z-21 a formidable asset not only in the Taiwan Strait but also as a deterrent on the western borders with India. China is moving forward with its military capabilities. The introduction of the Z-21 helicopter represents a significant change. It also shows the increasing strategic tensions in the Indo-Pacific.