Editor’s Note (28 October 2026): According to a corporate timeline display shared on Weibo, the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) signed a contract with Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) on 11 July for 30 Z-10ME attack helicopters, plus associated products and services. The display calls the deal the first unit-scale export of a Chinese main attack helicopter. Quwa has not independently verified the display.
On 10 June 2026, a Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (PAA) Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir during take-off. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan Army’s (PA) press wing, stated that the crash was caused by a “technical fault.” All onboard personnel died.
There is no point in speculating about the cause of this specific crash, especially since the details are not available and were not disclosed. The more useful question is broader: what, exactly, has General Headquarters (GHQ) planned for the PAA?
In contrast to Aviation, the Army’s other arms – from artillery to armour to drones to air defence – have seen significant capability additions since the mid-2010s.
Yet, for one reason or another, the PAA’s programs stall – and those particular programs are limited solely to attack helicopters.
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