Chinese Z-20 Medium Lift Utility Helicopter in Final Stages of Development

New Images of underdevelopment Chinese 10 ton Z-20 Medium Lift Utility Helicopter  suggest that it is in final stages of testing and will soon be ready for operational testing by China's People's Liberation Army. Z-20 Medium Lift Utility Helicopter has already completed its high altitude tests at Xiahe airfield in China's Gansu Province.

Z-20 Medium Lift Utility Helicopter's design bears a strong resemblance with its American counterpart S-70C (export version of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk) which is in service with  People's Liberation Army since 1980s. But Chinese helicopter is certainly not entirely a copy as it employs five-blade main rotor unlike Four-blade main rotor used by American S-70.

Once its development is completed and it is accepted into service, additional versions like Multi-Mission Maritime Helicopter for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW) and combat search and rescue (CSAR) will also start emerging.