Z-10

Z-10

Z-10

China

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.7	11.7	10.7

Class:

Attack helicopter

Utility helicopter

Research:400 000

Purchase:1 020 000

Show in game

Description

The Z-10, commonly referred as the 霹雳火 (Fierce Thunderbolt) and produced by CAIC, is currently the spearhead of PLAGF Aviation Corps and one of the most well-known PLA weapons of the 21st Century. The project for a new attack helicopter arose by 1990s after the Gulf War as the AH-64 Apache ripped through the armor column of Iraqi Army during the war and the dire need for a dedicated helicopter for such operations; the PLAGF Aviation Corps only has modified helicopters such as SA.342L and Z-9W. Engineers seek for the advice from Kamov of Russia for the early design as Project 941 in 1995 under the contract for a 6-ton helicopter wind-tunnel model; after the confirmation of overall aerodynamic designs, the new helicopter under the name Z-10 gone through extensive testing and breakthroughs in early 2000s where most part of the helicopter have to develop from scratch. During the test flights, engineers were assigned for overall weight reduction on the helicopter as much as possible due to overweight; thus the later prototypes were vastly lighter than the earliest prototypes with some design changes on the nose, the efforts fruited as the finalized helicopter has the highest combat radius among dedicated attack helicopters (claimed 800 km, 1.7 times of Apache) while maintaining the overall payload weights. The Z-10 which was passed for certification joined PLAGF in 2009 and were shown in the 60th National Day Parade as one of the helicopter columns; the model later received revisions during production including revised exhaust for reduced heat signature and the addition of MMW radar that further enhance its engagement range (as Z-10ME),evolving Z-10 for the future battlefield.

It was introduced in Update "Drone Age" alongside with the Chinese helicopter tech-tree, Z-10 has a sleek and futuristic appearance. It is the first full-fledged attack helicopter in the Chinese tech tree, finally having armour protection and an internal gun. The ordnance is mostly the same as the Z-19, but it can now use full-size AKD-10 laser-guided missiles that pack an enormous punch against tanks. However, this is an early production version with WZ-9 turboshaft engines that are somewhat lacking in power. Its flight performance is underwhelming, it cannot carry as many ATGMs as its peers, and it lacks the Z-19's mast-mounted radar. But with some finesse from the pilot, the "Fierce Thunderbolt" can still be a threatening combatant with advanced electronics and powerful weapons.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 1 000 m270 km/h

Max altitude6 000 m

Engine2 х Zhuzhou Aero-Engine Factory WZ-9

Take-off weight8 t

The Z-10's engines are more powerful than the Z-19's, but that is not enough to offset the increased weight and size. It has a lower top speed than contemporaries like the AH-64D Apache and Ka-52 Alligator. Manoeuvrability is decent but the flight model feels unstable at times, and rapid aerobatic manoeuvres that could be easily done on the Z-19 should be avoided on the Z-10. It does have an impressive maximum altitude of 6 km that matches the AH-1Z, but there is rarely a reason to venture that high.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 1,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)
	AB	RB
Stock	___	___	6000
Upgraded	___	___

Survivability and armour

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear420 km/h

This initial model of the Z-10 has light protection, but any protection is still a welcome improvement over previous Chinese helicopters. The crew members are protected with thick bulletproof glass that resists machine guns and autocannons from the front and their seats are armoured, which is a similar level of protection to the Italian A129CBT. There is nothing protecting the engine or crew compartment, which makes the Z-10 more vulnerable to shrapnel and explosive rounds.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB8 427 → 14 317

RB3 979 → 6 760

SB4 994 → 8 484

Total cost of modifications302 000

444 000

Talisman cost2 800

Crew training290 000

Experts1 020 000

Aces2 800

Research Aces1 080 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 220 / 330 %

232 / 232 / 232 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 300 Replacing helicopter blades Research: 17 000 Cost: 25 000 430 Engine Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 380	Flak jacket Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 300 Helicopter frame Research: 17 000 Cost: 25 000 430 EFS(a) Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 380 Cover Research: 33 000 Cost: 48 000 830	type_23l_belt_pack Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 300 AKD-9 Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 300 MAW Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 300 type_23l_new_gun Research: 17 000 Cost: 25 000 430 HF-7D Research: 17 000 Cost: 25 000 430 qjk_99_belt_pack Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 380 AKD-10 Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 380 NVD Research: 15 000 Cost: 22 000 380 qjk_99_new_gun Research: 33 000 Cost: 48 000 830 TY-90 Research: 33 000 Cost: 48 000 830

Armaments

Night vision devices

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)

Offensive armament

The Z-10 is armed with:

• A choice between two presets:
  • 1 x 23 mm Type 23L cannon, nose turret (300 rpg)
  • 1 x 23 mm Type 23L cannon + 48 x countermeasures

The Z-10 is the first Chinese helicopter with an internal gun. Mounted on a turret under the nose, the 23 mm Type 23L cannon performs similarly to the Type 23-1 cannons seen on the Z-9W/WA. The rate of fire and penetration are lacking compared to its peers and it should not be expected to chew up ground targets in the same way as the Apache's 30 mm chaingun or the Havoc's literal IFV autocannon, but it is easy to use because of the fire control system's CCRP and can help dispatch nearby aircraft. An Armored Targets belt with entirely HVAP rounds is available: although it lacks FI-T rounds for breaking apart aircraft, it has more penetration (up to 61 mm, enough to harass light ground vehicles) and a best-in-class 1240 m/s muzzle velocity.

Suspended armament

The Z-10 can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:

• Without load
• 4 x AKD-9 missiles
• 8 x AKD-9 missiles
• 8 x AKD-10 missiles
• 28 x FS70 rockets
• 36 x Type 57-1 rockets
• 16 x TY-90 missiles
• 2 x 12.7 mm QJK99-12.7-1 machine guns (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)

The Z-10 starts off with AKD-9 missiles as a stock option. Players who have used the Z-19 or Z-19E will be very familiar with these: lightweight laser-guided missiles with top-attack, lock-after-launch, and salvo firing capabilities like the Hellfire, but below average penetration, range, and flight speed.

However the Z-10's main air-to-ground weapon is the AKD-10, the full size version of the AKD-9 that is superior in all respects: 1,400 mm of penetration makes it the most powerful ATGM in War Thunder (slightly edging out the ZT-6 Mokopa), the 6.25 kg of TNT equivalent will further seal the fate of light vehicles, and the range has been improved to over 8 km (10 km launch range). Unfortunately, the flight speed has only been negligibly improved, which is the sole remaining flaw.

The ATGMs can only be mounted on the outer pylons, so the Z-10 is limited to 8 in total. This is half the amount of most contemporaries.

The TY-90s are a welcome tool for swatting aircraft and are a great way to fill in the remaining pylons. Moreover, the Z-10 can mount TY-90s on any of the four pylons and not just the inner pylons, making it possible to carry a ludicrous sixteen TY-90s at once — a record number of air-to-air missiles for any aircraft.

The remaining options of unguided rockets and machine gun pods should be familiar. The Z-10 can do some damage to ground targets in rocket rushes, but its unstable flight model discourages this kind of use as a first choice. The rockets have some utility if used to trigger the proximity fuses of incoming HE-VT rounds or SAMs as a last-ditch defense, but this may or may not be worth sacrificing a pylon of TY-90s for. The machine guns should be ignored because they are both weak and inferior to the Z-10's own internal cannon.

Custom loadout options

	1	2	3	4
12.7 mm QJK99-12.7-1 machine guns (1,000 rpg)		1	1
FS70 rockets	7	7	7	7
Type 57-1 rockets		18	18
AKD-9 missiles	4			4
AKD-10 missiles	4			4
TY-90 missiles	4	4	4	4

Usage in battles

The Z-10 has some powerful weapons at its disposal: the AKD-10 ATGMs have the highest penetration of any ATGM in the game and can take down even the most heavily armoured MBTs, and the TY-90s remain very adept at destroying jets, even in the face of top-tier supersonic aircraft. It retains the crisp thermals and high-zoom optics from the Z-19 for ease of aiming and target acquisition. Although it can sit back and sling ATGMs from long range, the Z-10 can also operate more comfortably near the front lines with bulletproof glass and an internal cannon. Sadly, it is held back by the low flight speed and capacity of its ATGMs, a limited supply of countermeasures, and an awkward flight model. Flying the Z-10 effectively in the face of enemy SAMs and air cover requires constant situational awareness.

Since the AKD-10 has the same technology as its smaller sibling, it is possible to mitigate the low flight speed with similar practices employed on the Z-19. The lock-on after launch (LOAL) and salvo abilities can be used to lob a sequence of missiles towards the battlefield even when things are quiet, with ample time to acquire and designate targets when they appear. It is also possible to use LOAL to engage SAMs by hiding in cover for most of the flight duration. Although the AKD-10 has much greater post-penetration damage than the AKD-9, players who want to make the most of the limited ATGM capacity can still change the laser designator aim point to hit roof armour if desired.

The Z-10 remains highly effective as an air superiority helicopter. Just like the Z-19, it can carry eight TY-90s without sacrificing ATGMs, and this is sufficient for most battles. The cannon can be used as a supplement for close combat against enemies that appear suddenly and are too close for missiles or extensively pre-flaring. Players who wish to become a flying no-fly zone can take sixteen TY-90s for the largest AAM loadout in the game, but this is rather excessive unless the enemy team is fielding tremendous numbers of aircraft and drones. Players transitioning from the Z-19 should be aware that the Z-10 has a harder time pulling violent manoeuvres to dodge incoming fire and does not have a mast-mounted radar for spotting low-altitude aircraft.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent agility and acceleration
• AKD-9 and AKD-10 missiles have loft, LOAL, and salvo firing capability like Hellfires
• AKD-10 missiles have extremely high penetration and impressive range
• Excellent optics with thermal sights for easy targeting
• TY-90 AAMs are effective anti-air missiles and can be carried in very large numbers

Cons:

• Slow top speed
• The fuselage is fragile
• Limited flare/chaff capacity compared to other helicopters
• The main cannon lacks penetration to deal with armoured targets
• Only has four wing mounts, compared to the six on the American AH-64D Longbow and Russia's Ka-52 Alligator
• Relatively lacklustre loadout options with only 8 ATGMs compared to its contemporaries with 12 or even 16 ATGMs
• No radar
• Not very stable in flight

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the helicopter in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Z-10 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

CAIC Z-10: A Basic Review - Tims Variety

The Shooting Range #324 - Pages of History section at 04:20 discusses the Z-10 helicopter.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the helicopter;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (昌河飞机工业集团)
Helicopters	Z-10 · Z-11WA

China helicopters
Attack/Utility	Z-9W · Z-9WA · Z-10 · Z-11WA · Z-19 · Z-19E
	␗OH-58D (USA)
Attack	␗AH-1W (USA)
Utility	SA.342L Gazelle (France)
Pakistan	▄Mi-35M