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China AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)
Z-8
A medium transport helicopter derived from the French Aerospatiale Super Frelon, built by Changhe (part of AVIC) for the PLA Navy and Army in troop transport, search-and-rescue and anti-submarine roles. The modernized Z-8L/Z-18 family remains in wide service.
In service since 1989 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
267
km/h
900
km range
6,000
m ceiling
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1989. Status: active · ~100 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 267 km/h Stronger than 11% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 253 km/h Stronger than 35% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 900 km Stronger than 88% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 6,000 m Stronger than 69% of helicopters
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 23.05 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 6.66 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 7,095 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 13,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 3
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 27 Stronger than 74% of helicopters
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 3x WZ-6 turboshaft engines
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 3
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 1,550 hp Stronger than 37% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- search radar (naval variants), dipping sonar (ASW variants)
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 100 Stronger than 37% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 18% of helicopters
Specifications compiled from public AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 has a maximum speed of 267 km/h.
What is the range of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 has a maximum range of 900 km.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 weigh? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 has a combat weight of 13,000 kg.
How many crew does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 require? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 requires a crew of 3.
What engine does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 use? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 is powered by the 3x WZ-6 turboshaft engines.
What is the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 used for? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 is a helicopter typically used for isr.
How many countries operate the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8 cost? +
AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-8: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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