Red Hawk rising: how the Z-20 family is plugging China’s chronic defence gaps

AI Summary

China's Harbin Z-20 helicopter, visually similar to the US Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, reflects China's efforts to close defense technology gaps with the United States and Russia. The Z-20 features technical differences such as an additional main rotor blade and cabin window design.

Telling a Harbin Z-20 and a Sikorsky UH-60 “Black Hawk” apart can be challenging – the two helicopters look almost identical and their dimensions are very similar. The striking resemblance underscores China’s decades-long effort to close the technological gap with the United States and Russia in the important aviation sector of helicopters. Yet, there are differences: the Z-20 has five main rotor blades compared with the UH-60’s four, and its cabin features two front windows instead of the...