The Z-20 is a 'medium-lift' helicopter meant for a range of missions in the Chinese army and navy such as troop and cargo transport, evacuation and anti-submarine and anti-ship missions. The Z-20 helicopter, which according to Chinese reports first flew in 2013, has emerged in recent years as the most important addition to China's rotary aviation capabilities. Tyler Rogoway, the author of the article on The Drive, explained the importance of the tail design as he wrote 'loss of that tail upped China's knowledge base on low-observables by at least a decade, especially when it comes to helicopter applications'. Pakistan returned the wreckage three weeks later after intensive diplomacy. The Drive claimed Pakistan seized the tail of the crashed stealth Black Hawk, which included extensive use of composite material to reduce noise, weight and radar signature. US defence website The Drive claimed the stealth model of the Z-20 on display had a 'trapezoidal airframe' similar to earlier US studies into stealth versions of the Black Hawk. These include modifying parts of the airframe to weaken reflected radar signals, redirecting engine exhausts to reduce heat and using 'radar-absorbent' material in construction. Stealth aircraft typically use multiple methods to reduce their chances of detection by radars and infrared (heat) sensors. Why tech of stealth Black Hawk was important Reports claimed Chinese officials were allowed to take photographs and samples of the materials used on the stealth Black Hawk. Soon after the raid, reports emerged that Pakistan allowed experts from China to examine the wreckage of the crashed stealth Black Hawk. The US military destroyed the wreckage of the crashed helicopter using explosives, but its tail remained intact.Īt the time, the raid triggered uproar in Pakistan as Islamabad vehemently protested against the violation of its sovereignty. One of these 'stealth Black Hawks' crashed in the raid that ended with the US killing Bin Laden. The US military used customised versions of its Black Hawk helicopters that had features to reduce their radar and infra-red signatures to reach the compound used by Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in Abottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011. However, the model triggered a buzz on social media towards the end of May as international experts argued it bore similarities to a mysterious, yet iconic aircraft: The 'stealth' Black Hawk helicopter of the US military. The China Helicopter Research and Development Institute is a division of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a behemoth of China's aerospace sector.Īccording to China's Global Times, the model, believed to be a variant of the Chinese Z-20 helicopter, was displayed when a local official of the Chinese Communist Party visited the institute on May 19. When is a model of an aircraft more than just a model? That may sound like a lame rehash of a tired cliche, but a photograph of a model of a helicopter at the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute in Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi Province, has sparked a buzz.

Tomahawk helicopter