Two Z-20 helicopters affiliated with the 76th Group Army of the Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army fly in formation at an undisclosed location in April, 2024. Photo: Screenshot from 81.cn

An armed variant of China's independently developed Z-20 helicopter recently made its first appearance in an official report, with experts saying on Tuesday that even more Z-20 variants are expected to be developed.

The PLA Daily on Monday published a story regarding Yuan Yuqiang, a non-commissioned officer in service with a brigade under the 76th Group Army of the Chinese Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA) who realized his dream to become a flight mechanical technician.

A picture attached to the story, captioned "a new type of domestically developed helicopter," featured two Z-20 helicopters.

Observers noted that while one of the helicopters looks identical to the Z-20 previously known by the public, the other one has some different traits, including what seems to be an electro-optical sensor replacing the radome on the helicopter's nose, as well as external wings that have the potential to carry weapons stations. These features match the long-expected armed variant of the Z-20. 

A promotional video released in January 2022 by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the maker of the Z-20, showcased a computer-generated (CG) art for a Z-20 with a pair of short wings. Each wing was shown carrying four missiles and a multiple rocket launcher. Analysts at the time concluded that an armed variant of the Z-20 was already under development.

The Z-20 is a great utility platform that can give rise to many variants, and an armed variant is a logical progression, as it can provide escort for the base version during armed assault missions, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that the original version of the Z-20 was designed to be a medium-sized utility helicopter with wide applications, and it has significant potential to be modified into different variants for special missions, anti-submarine warfare, patrols and reconnaissance duties.

The AVIC's CG art also gave the new Z-20 variant a long lance-like pole, likely a refueling probe, to the right of its nose, but this feature is not yet observed in the real-life photo published by the PLA Daily.

Deng Jinghui, chief designer of the helicopter, said in an interview with China Central Television in 2022 that the Z-20 could get upgrades, including the ability to receive aerial refueling in the future.