Chinese state TV channel, CCTV7, has revealed one of the latest additions to the country's military – the two-seat "Hunting Eagle Strike Gyrocopter" equipped with four anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), as well as an additional sensor array.
The missiles are attached to the underside hardpoint extensions that were added to the aircraft, which is normally used by civilians, emergency and border services, but not the military. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) also installed a sensor turret – an array of devices for digital surveillance as well as targeting and guidance for the ATGMs.
This is not the first time the PLA has been seen using gyrocopters – a helicopter-looking aircraft, which is propelled by an engine-powered blade in the rear and lifted into the air only with the use of the of autorotation of the main blade. Its needs a runway like a plane, but the gyrocopters have much more modest requirements for their length.
The Chinese military have been ordering gyrocopters from the Hunting Eagle's manufacturer, Shaanxi Baojii Special Vehicles, since at least 2014. The PLA previously equipped them with small guided bombs, but the addition of the anti-tank missiles and a sensor array is something that had not been seen in previous years, including during the 2019 military parade, when the gyrocopters were first included in the procession.
The CCTV7 report said that the new aircraft will be used to support ground forces, including by killing enemy tanks. The TV channel noted that the gyrocopters were tuned to be quieter and have other benefits that prompted their use by the military. Namely, training pilots to fly them does not take as much effort as training them to fly a helicopter or a jet plane. Plus, gyrocopters don't require as much logistical support as its bigger brothers.
Naturally, these aircraft have no defense or armor and might become an easy prey for enemy air defenses, if they spot the gyrocopters. The latter, however, is not guaranteed since the gyrocopters have a smaller radar and heat signature, making them less detectible to the two main methods of target acquisition. They are also not as easy to spot in the air compared to bigger aircraft. At the same time, it's too early to call them an analogue of the fifth-generation stealth fighters in regards of detectability.