Pakistan has begun taking delivery of Z-10ME attack helicopters from China, marking its transition to replace its fleet of US-supplied AH-1F Cobras which has been in service for over 40 years.
Although there hasn’t yet been official confirmation from either country, videos of the Chinese medium-weight, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter bearing the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps markings have been circulating on various online channels, including China’s largest social media platform, Weibo.
Reports claim Pakistan receives China’s new Z-10ME attack helicopters to replace AH-1Fs. Built for high-altitude combat, the Z-10ME signals deepening Beijing-Pakistan military ties aimed at containing India. No official confirmation from Islamabad or Beijing yet. pic.twitter.com/RpqEaXXDx2
— NFSC Red Leaf Canada (@hli953777191713) July 30, 2025
This is the first time that the Z-10ME helicopter has been seen in public in Pakistan, but reports of its delivery from China had been surfacing for over a month.
Developed by China’s Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation, the Z-10ME attack helicopter took its maiden flight in 2003, and officially started its service with the Chinese Army Aviation in 2009.
Pakistan initially acquired three Z-10MEs on a trial basis in 2015, but found its WZ-9 engine inadequate at the time. To improve its competitiveness and performance, Chinese engineers upgraded to the Z-10 platform. The Z-10ME prototype was then developed, armed with a more powerful WZ-9C, larger ammunition magazine size, and a new missile approach warning system (MAWS).
During this time, Pakistan set its sights on the Bell AH-1Z Viper to replace its AH-1F Cobra fleet. This was short-lived, however, as Pakistan’s relations with the US took an ominous shift when India was supplied with American-made Apache AH-64E helicopters.
Talks with China to acquire the Z-10ME then resumed, and the manufacturer developed a Z-10ME/P variant for Pakistan.