China, which has been focusing on areas such as shipbuilding as well as equipment and personnel training for a while to increase its amphibious capabilities, has performed an important exercise.

In the activity carried out off the Fujian District in the southern part of the East China Sea, Chinese Army Aviation elements took off from the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship and performed sea crossing exercise. The Z-9 and Mi-171 utility helicopters, as well as the Z-10 attack helicopter participated to the event, which was carried out to improve the vertical lift air assault capability, which would constitute an important phase in a possible overseas amphibious operation.

In the exercise, platforms taking off from a base on the ground and landed on a Type 071 LPD belonging to the PLAN. Following the embarking of the infantry elements to the vehicles, utility helicopters flew from low altitude to the mission area under the protection of armed platforms.

In such operations, the armed close air support performs the task of suppressing the enemy elements at the moment of the first attack. Leaving friendly troops to the mission area without close air support may cause the operation to fail at the very first moment.

It was seen that the Z-10 attack helicopters involved in the exercise were the most advanced model. In the published photos, it was seen that the exhaust outlets of the platforms were replaced with upwardly directed components to reduce the infrared signature.