Meanwhile the PLA still lacks a dedicated attack helicopter comparable to the U.S. AH-64 Apache or Russian Mi-28 Havoc for ground support and anti-armour roles. The Army Aviation’s limited attack helicopter force comprises only some 30 to 40 Harbin WZ-9s and eight Eurocopter SA 342L Gazelles, plus around 60 Mil Mi-17 Hips carrying unguided rocket launchers and free-fall bombs.A development programme for a new dedicated attack helicopter has been undergoing since the mid-1990s by 602 Institute and Changhe Aircraft Industry Company (CHAIC) in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. The new helicopter, possibly designated as WZ-10 (Wuzhuang Zhisheng-10) is believed in the same class as South African Atlas Rooviak and Italian Agusta A129. The design of the helicopter including the power plant and transmission systems could be derived from the Harbin Z-9, with a re-worked front-fuselage to accommodate two pilots.A photo revealed on Internet shows one of the possible design of the WZ-10, featuring a Z-9/AS 365-style fuselage layout and tail rotor, with a side-by-side, two-seat cockpit, a roof-mounted optical sight, and a nose-mounted FLIR. The helicopter can carry up to 8 ATGMs, or IR-guided short-range AAMs. Although the helicopter might still not be as capable as the U.S. AH-64 Apache, it will probably play a significant role in Army Aviation modernisation and force compabilities
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