The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Aviation has inducted two Z-18A medium transport helicopter into service on 4 January. 

The Z-18A is the army transport variant of PLA Naval Aviation's Z-18 helicopters which are deployed on the aircraft carrier Liaoning. Commissioned after four years of extensive testing, the A variant has three WZ-6C turboshaft engines and a new 'glass' cockpit. It can accommodate 27 fully armed troops or 15 medical stretchers to a range of 800 to one thousand kilometres. 

Z-18 helicopters previously reached an altitude of 9 thousand metres, even higher than Everest, showing its high altitude flight capability.