A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter transports a howitzer during a U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise in Pocheon, South Korea, on March 25, 2015. (Photo : Reuters)
Russia and China are jointly developing a new heavy-duty helicopter similar to that of the U.S. Army’s Chinook, the U.K.-based IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly reported on Friday.
Under an agreement signed on the same day, the unnamed parties involved will work on the development and preparation to launch serial production of the Advanced Heavy Lift (AHL) helicopter, the report said.
China will be the likely primary market for the AHL, with a potential requirement of this class by the end of 2040, said Alexander Mikheev, CEO of Moscow-based aerospace firm Russian Helicopters.
The new helicopter, which is said to have been approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be designed to operate in high temperatures, high altitudes, and all weather conditions, the report stated, noting that the final contract on the research and development of the AHL is expected to be signed later this year.
According to official data taken from the proposal, the AHL will have a maximum take-off weight of 38 tonnes and capable of carrying 10 tonnes of cargo internally and 15 tonnes of cargo externally. This makes it a direct competitor to the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, which can carry 10 tones internally or externally.
In service since the Vietnam War, the Chinook is one of the world's most popular heavy-duty transport helicopters. It can carry heavier loads than the Mi-17 medium transport helicopter, but is faster, cheaper and easier to maneuver than the heavier Mi-26.
The U.S. is currently unwilling to sell Chinooks to China, however, so the new helicopter to be developed will put the U.S. and China at roughly the same level, the report said.
