After our army installed the Z-20 general-purpose helicopters, the mainland and Russia signed a military purchase order and introduced dozens of Mi-171 transport helicopters, which was our largest military purchase order in recent years.
Why do we have to go to Russia to buy helicopters after mass production and installation of Z-20 helicopters? This needs to be discussed from two aspects.
On the one hand, the production capacity of Z-20 helicopters and the urgent need for helicopters in our army are the direct impetus for us to purchase Russian-made helicopters.
On the other hand, the Mi-171 is a battle-tested transport helicopter with excellent performance, and the introduction of this helicopter can also improve the fleet performance of our army aviation units.
1
Straight 20 capacity issues
Z-20 is an excellent product of our aviation industry, although the shape Xi borrowed from the U.S. military's Black Hawk helicopter, but there are great differences in the design of the propeller wing, the fuselage material, and the technology is more advanced.
Moreover, the Z-20 is a fly-by-wire flight control helicopter, which is a fairly cutting-edge technology in the field of helicopters, which can greatly improve the maneuverability and maneuverability of the Z-20.
However, as a helicopter with advanced performance, the Z-20 itself is a product that we have just launched not long ago, and its production capacity is still in a state of climbing, and it is difficult to achieve a relatively high annual output in a short period of time.
But it corresponds to the urgent need of our army units, or our three armed forces, for the Z-20. Just the three air assault brigades of the Army and the Air Force need hundreds of Z-20 aircraft.
Nearly 100 destroyers and frigates of the Navy will need to carry various carrier-based helicopters developed on the Z-20 platform in the future, such as the Z-20 anti-submarine helicopter.
An amphibious assault ship like 075 also needs to carry 20 to 30 straight-20 utility helicopters.
Not to mention the needs of the army aviation brigades of various group armies of our army for helicopters, as well as some special needs and commuting needs of our other troops.
Some old helicopters, such as the Z-8 and Mi-8 models, have also entered the end of their service life and need to be replaced by new helicopters.
We conservatively estimate that the entire People's Liberation Army needs more than 1,000 Z-20s, and 2,000 Z-20 may be a relatively ideal number.
Judging from the open situation of the troops' receiving, the current annual output of the Z-20 may be between 100 and 200 aircraft, which is not slow, but it is not fast either.
In recent years, the international situation has become increasingly tense, and we need to be prepared for a possible war in the future, and we need to improve the combat effectiveness of our army as soon as possible.
Therefore, the introduction of a full-fledged, battlefield-tested Russian-made helicopter to supplement the number of our helicopters has become a very reasonable and necessary option.
2
The Mi-171 has excellent performance
The Z-20 is a 10-ton general-purpose transport helicopter, while the Mi-171 is a 13-ton transport helicopter, and the load and cabin space of both are not of the same magnitude.
To put it simply, the Mi-171 is a little larger than the Z-20 and has a stronger carrying capacity.
For example, transporting infantry, the Z-20 can transport 8 to 10 fighters, which is about the combat strength of a squad. And one Mi-171 can transport about 20 fighters, which is equivalent to half a platoon's strength.
The Mi-171 has a large tailgate for easy access to large cargo, including some light combat vehicles, such as our Bobcat all-terrain vehicle. If the Z-20 wants to carry a Bobcat all-terrain vehicle, it is necessary to use the method of hanging transportation.
This mode of transportation will limit the maneuverability of the helicopter, and in our common high-altitude combat environment, because of the complex high-altitude air flow, this mode of transportation has a relatively large danger.
Some friends probably thought of another kind of transport helicopter that we are equipped, that is, the Z-8 series transport helicopter.
However, although the Z-8 is also a 13-ton helicopter, its cabin is designed to be relatively narrow, except for the overhauled model of the Z-8L, which is the straight-8 wide, other Z-8 series helicopters can not carry a Bobcat all-terrain vehicle in the cabin.
We can find that the loading capacity of the Mi-171 is relatively lacking in our army, and the introduction of a batch can improve the transportation capacity of our army aviation troops.
Air assault units with or without Bobcat all-terrain vehicles have different mobility capabilities when fighting behind enemy lines, and their combat effectiveness is obviously very different.
The Z-8L helicopter is also a new type of helicopter for us, and the mass production problems faced by the Z-20 also exist in the Z-8L.
Before the Z-8L could be equipped with troops in large quantities, the Air Assault Force and the Army Aviation Unit needed to use the Mi-171 or Mi-8 to transport larger-sized equipment.
Therefore, the purchase of an additional batch of Mi-171 helicopters from Russia can effectively improve the vertical transportation capacity of our army, and the performance of this helicopter that has been tested on the battlefield is indeed good.
3
Will it be introduced in the future?
So, will we introduce a large number of Russian-made helicopters again in the future? I think this probability is relatively small.
We introduced the Mi-171 mainly to supplement the quantity, and in terms of performance, our straight 8L helicopter has surpassed the Mi-171 helicopter.
Russia has been fighting a war in the past two years, and their military production capacity must be given priority to supply the Russian army's own needs, and it is difficult to supply us as quickly as before.
After the Russian-Ukrainian war is over and Russia's export capacity is restored, our Z-20 and Z-8L production capacity problems have basically been solved, and the demand for the number of Russian-made helicopters will be greatly reduced.
By this time, the need to introduce Russian-made helicopters will be much smaller.
Some friends may say, Is there a need to introduce Russian-made helicopter gunships? This is not necessary.
At present, the armed helicopters of our army and air force are fully staffed, and the production capacity of the Z-10 is more than enough to supply the needs of the troops. It is said that a new generation of heavy helicopter gunships is also being developed, and it may be unveiled in two years.
From a quantitative and qualitative point of view, there is no need for us to introduce Russian-made helicopter gunships.
As for the field of heavy helicopters, the Russian Mi-26 heavy helicopter is a behemoth that we have not yet been able to build, but this helicopter is not suitable for military use.
At present, the main unit purchasing this helicopter in China is the emergency management department, and the Mi-26's strong transportation capacity can play a huge role in emergency rescue and disaster relief.
In the field of 30 to 35-ton heavy helicopters, Russia's progress is not as good as ours China, our heavy helicopters are being developed, and breakthroughs have been made in key technologies such as engines.