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PLA Navy's new Z-20J utility helicopters seen on Type 075 amphibious assault ship in official media coverage

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Published: Jul 28, 2025 09:59 PM

After making its public debut at the Airshow China 2024, the Z-20J helicopter of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy was seen in an official media report on Monday on board a Type 075 amphibious assault ship. A Chinese military affairs expert said that this combination offers formidable capabilities during amphibious landing operations.

A program aired on the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) on Monday evening made coverage on a recent meeting of the PLA Navy highlighting exemplary service members. The program featured a video clip showing the Type 075 amphibious assault ship Hainan (Hull 31) sailing at sea, without providing additional details of the voyage, including its date, location or mission.

It showed four Z-20J naval utility helicopters and eight Z-8C naval transport helicopters lined up on the flight deck of the large amphibious vessel.

The baseline version of the Z-20 utility helicopter made its debut at the National Day military parade on October 1, 2019 in Beijing. Although there had been many analyses, unofficial sightings and media reports about a shipborne version of the Z-20, it was finally officially unveiled as the Z-20J at the Airshow China 2024 held in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province in November 2024.

At the Airshow China 2024, Z-20J and Z-8C helicopters performed an integrated air-ground coordinated assault drill carrying marine corps personnel and related weapons and equipment, with the aim of demonstrating a three-dimensional combat operation featuring rapid strikes and direct engagements, while testing the forces' capabilities in command organization, firepower coordination, and combat synergy under realistic conditions, the Global Times learned from the PLA Navy at the airshow.

Compared to the baseline version of the Z-20, the Z-20J is optimized to be able to adapt to various types of warships, and conducted takeoff and landing under complex and challenging sea conditions.

Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the Z-20J has outstanding performance in terms of fire support, maritime assault and transport. The helicopter can use its missiles, rockets and machine guns to engage and suppress hostile ground targets while friendly forces conduct airborne or amphibious landing missions.

The Z-20J, together with the Z-8C, can be carried by large vessels such as the Type 075 amphibious assault ship and the Type 071 amphibious landing dock. The helicopters can bypass obstacles on beachheads from the air and carry out vertical landing behind the enemy defense lines, greatly boosting the success rate of amphibious landing missions and operational effectiveness, Zhang said.

The PLA Navy currently has three Type 075 amphibious assault ships in service that are known to the general public. It also launched in December 2024 the world's first electromagnetic catapult-equipped amphibious assault ship, the Type 076.