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Z-10ME Would Complete Pakistan Army’s Combined Arms Mix Quwa Premium
Executive Summary
There are rumours on social media of the Pakistan Army (PA) inducting the Z-10ME attack helicopter. While this news is currently unconfirmed, the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (PAA) repeatedly stated that the Z-10ME was, ultimately, its choice for replacing its mostly exhausted AH-1F/S Cobra helicopters; a procurement was not a matter of “if” but “when.”
That said, the Z-10ME would represent more than simply a purchase of attack helicopters; for the PA, it would potentially complete a comprehensive Chinese-origin weapons ecosystem that could greatly reshape Pakistan’s land warfare capabilities.
This change would not happen because of the Z-10ME; rather, it is the wider reality of the PA’s recent procurement trends that is driving the shift. Basically, the PA operates a modern Chinese platform for each of its core domains: VT4 tanks for armour, SH-15/A-100 systems for artillery, a multi-layer air defence system, and now aviation assets.
This single-source procurement pattern mirrors the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) successful Chinese platform integration across its frontline fighters, land-based radars, and electronic warfare (EW) systems.
Like the PAF, the addition of the Z-10ME – alongside its the VT4, SH-15, A-100, HQ-9/P, LY-80 and LY-80EV, and FM-90 – could allow the PA to not only network its core assets, but potentially build Integrated Battle Groups (IBG), i.e., rapid-deployable units for swift territorial operations.
Introduction
Multiple reports on social media suggest the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (PAA) is inducting the Changhe Z-10ME attack helicopter. While Quwa could not fully verify these claims, reliable sources indicate the Z-10ME’s formal induction is imminent.
The Z-10ME is realistically the only modern attack helicopter option available to the PAA. In 2020, PAA leadership confirmed that it had chosen the Z-10ME as its contingency option after the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) T129B ATAK and Bell-Textron AH-1Z Viper were withheld due to deteriorating Pakistani-American defence ties.
Potential long-term alternatives exist, such as a T129 variant with the TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI) TS1400 turboshaft engine, but this option requires extensive integration, testing, and exhaustive trials within Pakistan. With legacy AH-1F/S Cobras effectively at the end of their structural lifespans, the PAA’s attack helicopter requirements were urgent – hence, the immediately available Z-10ME was sought.
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