Harbin Z-21

Heavy Attack Helicopter

China | 2026

"The Harbin Z-21 was unveiled on Chinese social media platforms in March of 2024 and stands as an all-new Chinese attack helicopter design."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/22/2024 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Chinese Social Media image of the prototype Z-21 helicopter in flight.

Revealed by way of Chinese social media sources in March of 2024, Chinese military industry has been hard at work on a new heavy-class dedicated attack helicopter for local use. The design is believed to be an amalgam of the Harbin Z-20 "Chinese Blackhawk" multi-mission helicopter and the CAIC Z-10 dedicated attack platform, both serving in number with the PLAAGF. While the Z-20 is copied from the American Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk line, the Z-10 attack type is more of an original approach.

The new Z-21 attack helicopter is no doubt influenced by the American Boeing AH-64 "Apache" twin-seat, twin-engine attack helicopter currently in service with the United States Army and allies worldwide. The general form-and-function of the platform is consistent with the American approach in many regards including the three-point fixed/wheeled undercarriage, chin-mounted autocannon, tandem-seating crew arrangement, and side-by-side engine placement.

As in the AH-64, the nose assembly seats the optical sensor with clear, unobstructed views of the terrain ahead and to the sides of the aircraft. Aft of the "chin" position sits a 30mm chain gun in a traversable mounting and linked to the gunner's visor. The crew of two sit in tandem with the pilot at the rear and the gunner in front and armor protection is applied to all sides of the cockpit to maximize crew survivability in contested airspaces.

The helicopter can carry the usual mix of air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance options common to the Chinese Army. This includes short-ranged Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) affixed to the extreme ends of the wingstubs while the wingstubs proper can mount the typical Anti-Tank (AT) guided / homing Air-to-Surface Missiles (ASMs) and guided / unguided rocket pods to deal with softer vehicle and infantry threats. The wingstubs accommodate two underside hardpoints each for same or mixed ordnance loadouts depending on mission need.

The twin turboshaft engine arrangement drives a composite five-bladed main rotor set over the fuselage and a pair of twin-bladed tail rotor blades in a scissors arrangement to counteract torque effects. The engine exhaust ports blast the hot air upwards and sport InfraRed (IR) suppressors to better hide the helicopter's heat signature. Over the main rotor assembly is fitted a mast-mounted radar system similar to the arrangement seen in the American Apache.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Harbin Z-21 Heavy Attack Helicopter.

2 x Turboshaft engines of unknown make, model, and output power driving five-bladed main rotor and 2 x Twin-bladed tail rotors in "scissors" arrangement.
Propulsion

177 mph
285 kph | 154 kts
Max Speed

20,505 ft
6,250 m | 4 miles
Service Ceiling

404 miles
650 km | 351 nm
Operational Range

2,500 ft/min
762 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Harbin Z-21 Heavy Attack Helicopter.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

52.5 ft
16.00 m
O/A Length

43.8 ft
(13.35 m)
O/A Width

12.7 ft
(3.86 m)
O/A Height

11,464 lb
(5,200 kg)
Empty Weight

22,046 lb
(10,000 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range.

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Harbin Z-21 Heavy Attack Helicopter provided across 4 hardpoints.

STANDARD:
1 x 30mm automatic cannon in chin-mounted position.

OPTIONAL:
4 x External underwing hardpoints for the carrying of guided / homing air-to-surface missiles, air-to-air missiles, and air-to-surface guided / unguided rockets. Wingstub tips also reserved for AAMs.

X

Hardpoints Key:

Centerline

Wingroot(L)

Wingroot(R)

Wing

Wingtip

Internal

Not Used

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Harbin Z-21 family line.

Z-21 - Base Series Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Harbin Z-21. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 2 Units
Contractor(s): Harbin - China

[ China (planned) ]

1 / 1

Chinese Social Media image of the prototype Z-21 helicopter in flight.

Going Further...
The Harbin Z-21 Heavy Attack Helicopter appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)