In July 2010 the Chinese aviation firm AVIC revealed the first prototype of the new home-grown WZ-19 anti-armor attack helicopter. The prototype may have flown during May 2010. The Z-19 prototype was undergoing a test flight at the Harbin Aircraft Industrial Corporation [HAIC] airfield. It was reported that one prototype crashed on September 18, 2010.

The new Chinese Army Aviation WZ-19 attack helicopters are mainly used to attack tanks and other heavy targets. The new Harbin/AVIC WZ-19 attack helicopter is based on the Z-9W anti-armor attack helicopter, which itself was derived from the license-built AS-365N. The WZ-19 used the engines (WoZhou WZ8A?), rotor, aft fuselage and tail section (including Fenestron tailrotor) with minor modifications from H425 [one of the recent upgraded variants of the Z-9] which speeds up the development. Unlike the the Z-9W, which was basically an wide-body armed utility helicopter, the WZ-19 features a new narrow forwarded fuselage with tandem compact layout similar to that of the other gunship helicopters like Z-10, TAI/Agusta Westland T-129, AH-1Z Viper, AH-64 Apache, Eurocopter Tiger, Mil Mi-28 and HAL Light Combat Helicopter.

The WZ-19 features a narrow forward fuselage and a tandem cockpit layout similar to those of Z-10, but with reversed seating – the pilot sitting in the front seat and gunner in the back seat. Both crew are protected by armor plates, crash-resist seats and non-retractable front landing gears. It also features a Z-9WA style nose mounted EO turret (FLIR, TV and laser range finder), with armament consisting of on 30mm canon in chin turret. The helicopter can also carry the air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon package similar to that of Z-9WA under a pair of stub wings, including KD-8 ATGMs, PL-90 AAMs as well as 23mm gun pods and rocket lanchers.

TY-90 Air-to-Air Missile

Specifications

For air-to-air version:

length: 1.9 metre
diameter: 0.09 metre
weight: 20 kg
warhead: 3 kg
Maximum g-force: 20 g
guidance: infrared homing
fuze: laser proximity / contact
speed: > Mach 2
minimum range: 0.5 km
maximum range: 8 km
minimum altitude: 0 metre
maximum altitude: 6 km
single-shot kill probability: > 80%
developer: China Aviation Industry Corporation

Source revolvy.com

KD9 and KD10 ATGMs

KD9 and KD10 ATGMs (KD8 below are older and being replaced by KD9)

General data:
Type: Guided Weapon	Weight: 50 kg
Length: 1.2 m	Span: 0.3 m
Diameter: 0.15	Generation: None

Properties: Terminal Illumination, Terrain Following, Level Cruise Flight

Targets: Surface Vessel, Land Structure – Soft, Land Structure – Hardened, Mobile Target – Soft, Mobile Target – Hardened

Sensors / EW:
Laser Spot Tracker – (Generic, Weapon) Laser Spot Tracker (LST) LST, Laser Spot Tracker Max Range: 27.8 km

Weapons:
HJ-10 ATGM – Guided Weapon Surface Max: 9.3 km. Land Max: 9.3 km.

Source cmano-db.com

KD8 ATGM

The Hong Jian-8 or Red Arrow-8 is the primary anti-tank missile system of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The HJ-8 entered service between 1984 and 1988 and was China’s attempt at a man portable guided missile comparable to those used by NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

Like many Chinese-made weapons, the HJ-8 borrowed heavily from foreign models. Its appearance and assembly suggests it was influenced by the French MILAN, the American BGM-71 TOW, and the Soviet Konkurs. These were all second-generation wire-guided systems and the HJ-8 was a very late addition to the lineage.

Its worth noting the HJ-8’s guidance system and launcher rests on a tripod—like the TOW—but its firing mechanism resembles the MILAN. When launched, with the operator either crouched or seated behind the guidance system, the missile pushes its launch tube backward away from the operator. The latest variant of the HJ-8 used by the PLA even resembles the Russian Kornet ATGM.

Country of origin	China
Entered service	1980s
Armor penetration	100-800 mm
Range	3 km
Missile length	875 mm
Missile diameter	120 mm
Missile weight	11.2 kg
Warhead weight	?
Warhead type	HEAT
Guidance	Wire-guided

Source military-today.com

Z-19E China-made attack chopper makes maiden flight: Here

Excerpt

The China-made attack helicopter Z-19E made its maiden flight from a Harbin airport on Thursday, marking a major step in China’s entry into the global market for attack helicopters.

Also called the “Black Whirlwind,” the Z-19E is the first export-oriented attack helicopter developed by the AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Group. Based on the Z-19’s design, the 19E can be used in quick-response, low-impact and frequent attack missions, China National Radio reported.

China’s Z-19 Installed with Millimeter-wave Radar: Here

Excerpt

Mil.huanqiu.com says a new version of China’s Z-19 attack helicopter was in display on September 14 when the 4th China Helicopter Exposition opened. The Z-19 has a mystic round box on top of its rotating wing similar to that of US AH-64E Longbow Apache. It is believed that like AH-64E, Z-19 has installed a millimeter-wave radar.

The Chinese MMW FCR adopts western approach of using a single antenna, similar to AN/APG-78 used for AH-64D Apache Longbow. The radar is designated as YH, short for Yu Huo (浴火), meaning bathing in fire. YH MMW FCR is fully integrated with other subsystems of the onboard electronic warfare system, such as radar warning receivers (RWR), laser warning receivers (LWR), electronic support measures (ESM), and electronic countermeasures (ECM), with the entire EW system on board Z-10 named after the radar. Source: errymath.wordpress.com

Millimeter Wave Fire Control Radar

General data:
Type: Radar	Altitude Max: 0 m
Range Max: 37 km	Altitude Min: 0 m
Range Min: 0.2 km	Generation: Early 2000s

Properties: Pulse Doppler Radar (Full LDSD Capability)

Sensors / EW:
Generic Millimeter Wave Fire Control Radar – (Attack Helicopter) Radar Role: Radar, FCR, Air-to-Air & Air-to-Surface, Short-Range Max Range: 37 km

Source cmano-db.com

Details

The Z-19 also features armor plating, crash resistant seats, and a turret with FLIR, TV, and laser range finder. Z-19 is also equipped with advanced helmet mounted sight (HMS), which looks different from that of WZ-10.

FLIR

General data:
Type: Infrared	Altitude Max: 0 m
Range Max: 148.2 km	Altitude Min: 0 m
Range Min: 0 km	Generation: Infrared, 2nd Generation Imaging (1980s/1990s, LANTIRN, Litening) )

Properties: Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) [Side Info], Classification [Class Info] / Brilliant Weapon [Automatic Target Aquisition], Continous Tracking Capability [Visual]

Sensors / EW:
Generic FLIR – (2nd Gen, Target Tracking And Identification) Infrared Role: Infrared, Target Tracking and Identification Camera Max Range: 148.2 km

TV Camera

General data:
Type: Visual	Altitude Max: 0 m
Range Max: 148.2 km	Altitude Min: 0 m
Range Min: 0 km	Generation: Visual, 2nd Generation TV Camera (1980s/1990s, AXX-1 TCS)

Properties: Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) [Side Info], Classification [Class Info] / Brilliant Weapon [Automatic Target Aquisition], Continous Tracking Capability [Visual]

Sensors / EW:
Generic TV Camera – (2nd Gen, Target Tracking And Identification) Visual Role: Visual, Target Tracking and Identification TV Camera Max Range: 148.2 km

Laser Designator

General data:
Type: Laser Designator	Altitude Max: 0 m
Range Max: 18.5 km	Altitude Min: 0 m
Range Min: 0 km	Generation: Not Applicable (N/A)

Sensors / EW:
Generic Laser Designator – (Surface Only) Laser Designator Role: Laser Target Designator & Ranger (LTD/R) Max Range: 18.5 km

Source cmano-db.com

The primary task of the WZ-10 and WZ-19 armed helicopters is to provide fire support on battlefields. Characterized by excellent flight performances and extreme low-altitude maneuverability, the helicopters can be equipped with multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground precision-guided weapons, and possess the daytime and nighttime combat capabilities. All the troop units equipped with these armed helicopters have successively established flight tackling teams in order to tackle highly-difficult problems in flight of these armed helicopters, explored new training methods and tactics by focusing on the characteristics of future wars, and established a complete training system for these new-type armed helicopters. Source: Global Security Org.