Well with that logic, i believe we should have to spend millions on acquisition of just spare parts for everything we buy & if war doesn't comes by the time normal spare reserves are finished then what ? Ground the equipment & hold the war spare reserves in the hope that one day war will come.
What are you talking about mate sorry i did not get your logic? spares are very essential if you want to secure your units operational capabilities.
Well if they are reverse engineered designs then i don't understand how come the Chinese have made the Z-9W/WA/WE, Z-9D, Z-9E & Z-9EC versions, shouldn't they have stick to the original Z-9A/B versions?
Good for China if they have developed so many versions. But my point still stands, Z-9 ASW uses systems from older variant of Panther or is it that some how China is able to master reverse engineering and make it par to today's standard?
The Z-9W/WA/WE version, which even the french had not made in numbers or even operational. That's strange, Isn't it ??
Quite strange strange, kindly give me one variant is Z-9 which is entirely new concept.
MH/HH-65 Dolphin
Main article: HH-65 Dolphin
The SA 366 G1 air-sea rescue
SA 365 F/F1
Naval version of the AS365 N.
SA 365 H
Military version of the SA 365 C.
SA 365 K
Military version of the AS365 N2.
SA 365 M
Military version of the AS365 N2.
Military AS365 Ns are designated as AS 565 Panthers and are available in the following versions:
AS565 AA/AB
Attack versions.
AS565 MA/MB
Naval search & rescue versions.
AS565 SA/SB
ASW (Anti Submarine Warfare) versions.
AS565 UA/UB
Utility versions.
How come Chinese have been able to use more composite components in strengthening & lighting the helicopter. I do believe the Chinese are making the engines in their own country too.
Unfortunately they are not even making engine for their new project "z-10" and have to import it. Once you have gained technical know how to make capability from reverse engineering then its not hard to add composites to the air frame.
Yes Sea King is a utility helicopter, that is why i did not mention it as a ASW role helicopter, rather a helicopter in this class can be used for transporting a heavier load of ship supplies, men to & from the ships at sea, evacuate more number of people in case of emergencies etc etc. Just like we have more then one helicopter in the army aviation for multiple roles, PN can have too for its use.
Your point is right but whats the logic behind combination of two different purpose helicopters?
Neither i did any comparison between them as both are of different class but performance wise many things are same. Z-9 has a longer ferry range then a Lynx, both can carry nearly same number of troops, both can take 2 torpedoes & Chinese torpedoes are copies of current in-service American & Italian ones. Both can launch small range AshM missile & the armed attack versions have nearly the same equipment, 8 ATGMs for Lynx, 8 for Z-9 versions too.
LOL Z-9 is Dauphin! The general characteristic stays the same.
Z-9 & its French counter parts are seeing service in numbers & customer wise numbers more then then Lynx helicopters in service.
Lets put it this way. Dauphin and Lynx are in much much more numbers and in services with more users then Z-9. I have nothing against the new variants of Dauphin and Panthers and in fact no matter how much Dauphin has been produced it does not change the fact that Super lynx are by far superior ASW chopper then both. And since the discussion has already been brought up regarding raising a independent naval rotary wing squadron then "Future Lynx" is a worth the investment for PN because dedicated ASW choppers are not meant for "maritime surveillance/patrol".
My point is, to update the Chinese Z-9 with western ASW equipment, just like the PN Breguet Atlantic & Fokker have been updated with Thompson-CF Ocean Master radar & electronic suite & equipment.
I dough PN is going to modify anything much as yet. current systems have to serve its 10-15 years term and then could given a MLU.
We can have round the clock operational helicopters without any fear or spare parts & grounding them with state of the art ASW western equipment.
Self contradictory statement. You said their is a risk of sanctions of spares and yet you say it should be upgraded with western systems? Dont those systems require spares?