Published : 24/12/2024

On December 24, 1987, China successfully completed its first helicopter landing test on a ship.

That afternoon, over the waters of Jiaozhou Bay in Shandong, a "Zhi-9" (直-9) shipborne helicopter slowly landed on the platform of a missile destroyer independently developed by China. It then rotated 360° and performed another test flight and test landing.

The missile destroyer had completed the installation of a helicopter deck system in July of the same year. The successful test of the shipborne helicopter effectively expanded the operational range of the destroyer.

According to media reports, shipborne helicopters are assigned various missions at sea, such as reconnaissance, rescue, anti-submarine, and anti-ship tasks.

The "Zhi-9" light multi-purpose helicopter, was developed by Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation under a licensed technology agreement from France.

It is characterised by its lightweight design, advanced performance, safety and reliability, ease of maintenance, and wide range of applications.