Documents
China AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)
Z-9
A license-built and later indigenized derivative of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, produced by Harbin (part of AVIC) as a light multirole military helicopter. Serves the PLA in utility, anti-tank and naval anti-submarine variants.
In service since 1992 · 5 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
305
km/h
1,000
km range
6,000
m ceiling
600
kg payload
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
Established · 5 operators
In service since 1992. Status: active · ~1,000 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.
- 305 km/h Stronger than 61% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 245 km/h Stronger than 20% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 1,000 km Top 10% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 6,000 m Stronger than 69% of helicopters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 4 Stronger than 41% of helicopters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 600 kg Stronger than 12% of helicopters
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 13.68 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 3.6 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 2,050 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 4,100 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
- Troop capacity
Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.
- 10 Bottom 9% of helicopters
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x WZ-8A turboshaft engines
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 850 hp Bottom 10% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 1,000 Stronger than 83% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 5 Stronger than 64% 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.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 has a maximum speed of 305 km/h.
What is the range of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 has a maximum range of 1,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 can carry up to 600 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 weigh? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 has a combat weight of 4,100 kg.
How many crew does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 require? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 requires a crew of 2.
What engine does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 use? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 is powered by the 2x WZ-8A turboshaft engines.
What is the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 used for? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 is a helicopter typically used for close air support, isr.
How many countries operate the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 is operated by 5 countries.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9 cost? +
AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Z-9: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
Similar systems
Boeing
AH-64E Apache Guardian
Boeing
AH-64D Apache Longbow
Bell
AH-1Z Viper
Russian Helicopters