PLAN's Lack of sufficient helicopters...an issue?

Speaking of Z-9, how is that program going as a whole? Will it be ASW capable? I remember reading in USNI that said WZ-9 could be outfitted with ASW acoustics equipment and torpedoes. But I haven't read anything since.

It is ASW capable. It can carry dipping sonar, and drop torpedoes. But thats about it. Plus, theres only a very small number of them, not sure why though.

It seems the z-9c's primary mission is to alow OTH attacks to be mounted with ships such as 167 which do not have the Band Stand radar.

Generaly speaking by 'Navalized' I meant modifications to make the Mi-28 a Carrier Borne aircraft for carrier-bassed sorties onto land and costal positions. I don't know much about naval air-power, but I do know it is pretty dumb to make an Mi-28 go into the Sub-Warfare role. Maybe also to make it useful against small ships and the like.

The whole thing about the Mi-24 was a bit of a mistake on my part, since I thought that this was a discussion about China's lack of helicopters in the whole of the armed forces, not just specificaly the navy. For that mistake, I am sorry and very embarised.

Also, what exactly is OTH and LPD/LPH?

OTH migth mean Over the horizon...thougth maybe Miggy can explain as he used the term...

LPH/LPDs means big amphifious landing ships, either dock landing ships or pure aircraft carriers that house helicopters to support amphibious operations.

Kampfwagen said:

Also, what exactly is OTH and LPD/LPH?

Click to expand...

Ill explain it in the terms i was using. The yj-83 ASHM, used on the type 51b and 52/b, has a maximum range of about 200km. The band stand radar on the 52b is an OTH radar, which has the range to allow the ship to fire the yk-83s are max range. the 51b and 52 do not have band stand. Instead, the ships can use a z-9c. The z-9c is equipped with a KLC-1 radar at X band. the helicopter can detect targets and relay the info to the ship for OTH attacks.

today, I found a thread with some pictures of ka-28, I'm beginning to think that there are more ka-28 in China than we all originally speculated.

These are the numbers mentionned on sinodefence
East Sea Fleet: 9114, 9124, 9134, 9144, 9154, 9164, 9174, 9184
South Sea Fleet: 9664, 9666, 9454

if you visit this thread, you would notice many more ka-28s
for example, we can clearly identify from the pictures
9664, 9334, 9474, 9224
and possibly
9264

So, we've identified at least 4 new ka-28s with these pictures and probably more

Where's the link?

So does that mean that China is shifting it's major focus onto that platform as it's primary ASW helo for the future? I still believe they are working on an indigineous solution. Ka-28 is a formidable ASW helo for sure. But I wonder what this means for a potential navalized Z-9 variant for PLAN. Or maybe something else entirely.

yeah, I had the hardest time trying to get the pictures off that forum. They had this mechanism that prevented you from saving pictures. :nono: :nono:

Anyhow, just check these out. I think these photos are probably taken from the southern fleet since the only previously identified ka-28 9664 is listed as in Southern fleet.
groups of ka-28s


ka-28 with no number

ka-28 9664

okay, the new ones uncovered

Capable as these Helos are they do remind me of an old saying about the differences between various nations design philosophies;
"if it's weird, it's British, if it's ugly, it's French, if it's weird AND ugly it's Russian, and if it was designed with no curves at all it's American!"