【Pakistan inducts Chinese-made Z-10ME attack helicopters equipped with "Longbow" radar】
According to a report from the Asia Defense Security website (DEFENSE SECURITY ASIA) dated August 18, 2026: Recent publicly available footage confirms that the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps has inducted Z-10ME attack helicopters fitted with a mast-mounted millimeter-wave fire-control radar. This radar provides crews with 360° detection capability, enabling target detection, classification, threat ranking, and engagement even in poor visibility conditions.
This radar significantly enhances the helicopter’s tactical value: Crews can hide the bulk of the aircraft behind terrain features, exposing only the radar mast over the ridge line for scanning; launch stand-off munitions with minimal exposure, then again use terrain for dive concealment to evade enemy counterattacks.
This “probe-and-strike” operational mode narrows the tactical gap between Pakistan and India’s AH-64E Apache fleet. However, existing public evidence does not confirm that the Z-10ME matches the Indian fleet in sensor performance, fleet readiness, munition compatibility, or actual combat effectiveness.
Pakistan’s acquisition of this platform also reflects how export controls are reshaping national military deployments: After U.S. AH-1Z delivery delays and Turkey’s T129 project failure, Chinese equipment has become Pakistan’s most politically reliable alternative.
Thus, the significance of the Z-10ME extends beyond mere fleet modernization—it solidifies China’s position as Pakistan’s primary supplier of high-end military hardware, while marking the first confirmed overseas user of this upgraded attack helicopter variant.
Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir presided over the formal induction ceremony of the type at Multan Military Base on August 2, 2025. The Pakistani military described the aircraft’s entry into service as a “major leap forward” in the modernization of the Army Aviation Corps.
However, this official statement reflects strategic development goals at the doctrinal level, not yet proven mature combat capabilities. Pakistan has not disclosed details such as fleet size, equipment availability rate, radar specifications, ammunition stockpiles, training standards, or outcomes from complex air combat exercises.
Open-source intelligence estimates the initial procurement batch to be between 30 and 40 aircraft—roughly enough to form an independent helicopter regiment. But since the exact number remains unconfirmed, caution is warranted when assessing the aircraft’s sustained operational capacity, resilience to losses, and wartime sortie efficiency.
The strategic impact of this helicopter depends not solely on individual platform performance, but on whether Pakistan can integrate radar-detectable target data into drones, artillery systems, ground sensors, electronic warfare platforms, and command networks.
If effective system integration is achieved, the Z-10ME could serve as a low-altitude “detect-and-engage” node, drastically reducing engagement timelines against armored units, artillery positions, and fortified structures, while simultaneously disseminating targeting data to Pakistan’s expanding multi-domain combat forces.
—— Mast-mounted radar enables precise strikes while leveraging terrain concealment
Reports indicate that the “Firestorm” mast-mounted millimeter-wave radar can conduct 360° scanning, with target detection ranges of approximately 20–25 kilometers, and operates effectively under sandstorms, smoke, heavy fog, rainfall, and low-visibility mountainous conditions.
The sensor is mounted above the rotor hub, allowing the crew to keep most of the helicopter hidden behind cover; compared to nose-mounted electro-optical systems requiring unobstructed line-of-sight, this dramatically reduces exposure time.
It is claimed that the radar can track multiple targets simultaneously and categorize threats. Crews can distinguish between armored vehicles, artillery positions, and defensive fortifications, then assign missiles and transmit target data to supporting units.
When paired with the CM-502KG non-line-of-sight missile—having a maximum range exceeding 25 kilometers—this combat system theoretically allows the Z-10ME to launch attacks well beyond the effective range of most direct-fire weapons and man-portable air-defense systems, while minimizing its own exposure.
The nose-mounted electro-optical/infrared turret provides supplementary identification and targeting, while helmet-mounted sighting systems accelerate target designation, forming a multi-layered sensing architecture so the helicopter is not fully reliant on radar alone.
The significance of this combination lies in the ability of the millimeter-wave radar to maintain continuous tracking through dust and obscurants, while electro-optical sensors handle precise identity verification. In densely mixed environments where civilians, friendly forces, and enemy units intermingle, such differentiation is critical.
【Follow this Toutiao account for more military news】
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873835289795594/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.