China rolls out naval variant of Z-9 helo armed with new anti-ship missile
http://www.janes.com/news/defence/air/jdw/...80804_1_n.shtml
By Robert Hewson
04 August 2008




A new armed naval variant of China's Z-9 helicopter has been rolled out, fitted with a new anti-ship missile.

Developed from Harbin's Z-9C shipboard helicopter, already in service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the latest aircraft is designated Z-9D. An image taken recently at the Harbin Aircraft Industry Group facility in the northeastern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, shows what appears to be the prototype Z-9D armed with a Hongdu radar-guided TL-10B (KJ-10B) missile.

This is the first time that an anti-ship missile has been seen on a Chinese naval helicopter. The image also confirms that the air-launched TL-10 programme is moving forward to deployment.

The TL-10 missile family first appeared in public as a ship-launched weapon (JJ-10) in 2004. In 2006, its manufacturer, the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, showed the air-launched version (KJ-10). The TL-10 series is a modern, lightweight anti-ship missile system with a 30 kg armour-piercing warhead. It is a rocket-powered, relatively high speed (M0.85) weapon with a maximum range of about 18 km when air launched.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the TL-10 programme is that it has been developed in co-operation with Iran.

Image: The newly rolled out Z-9D shipboard helicopter seen at the Harbin plant with a TL-10B (KJ-10B) anti-ship missile. (Via Chinese internet)

I hope we get the Z-9D version on our F-22P frigates .. now that would give further teeth to our already ordered 4 frigates !

They are designated Z-9P (P for Pakistan) and have already been delivered to PN. According to information in Chinese BBS, Z-9P are equipped for ASW and datalink.

The anti ship missle has a 30kg wahead, and only has 18 km range, won't a helicopter be shot down by SAMs from a ship before it reaches to within 18 kms (11 miles) of the ship?

good observation. Its maximal speed is mach 0.85 while SAMs travel between mach1 to mach2. Maybe the helicopter has very good countermeasure system (Z-9 series does have countermeasures) or the missile is to target smaller ships, considering the small warhead size.

I have a hunch that it is a tailored-made for-export affordable anti-ship package targeting smaller navies of the developing world. For countries with a limited defense budget, a small fleet of Z-9D would be an ideal complement to littoral surface combatants.