Reports circulating on Pakistani social media indicate that the country has begun deploying Chinese-built Z-10ME attack helicopters, which have been upgraded to meet specific operational requirements of the Pakistan Army.
The Z-10ME, a modernized version of China’s Z-10 platform, reportedly features enhancements across multiple systems, including propulsion, protection, electronic warfare, and self-defense suites.
Described by Chinese sources as the most advanced iteration of the Z-10 to date, the helicopter is intended to deliver improved performance in high-threat environments.
The prospect of Pakistan acquiring Z-10ME helicopters has been the subject of speculation for several years. While these latest reports have drawn widespread attention, there is currently no independently verified evidence confirming their operational deployment with Pakistani forces.
The Z-10 previously competed with Turkey’s T129 ATAK helicopter for Pakistan’s attack helicopter requirement. Although the Turkish platform initially won the competition, U.S. export restrictions on critical engine components blocked deliveries of the T129 to Pakistan, leaving a gap in the program and giving China an opening to advance its Z-10ME offering.
Neither the Pakistani military nor China’s state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the Z-10’s manufacturer, have publicly confirmed a delivery of the Z-10ME to Pakistan.
The potential deployment, if verified, would mark a milestone in Pakistan-China defense cooperation at a time of heightened regional security concerns and growing efforts by Islamabad to modernize its rotary-wing aviation fleet.
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