In what appears to be a first flight with a test version, observers and photographers have revealed through their images that China cloned the Sikorsky S-97 helicopter, the model on which the Raider X of the U.S. Army’s canceled FARA program was based. It is essentially a helicopter equipped with coaxial rotors and a pusher propeller, which provides greater performance in terms of speed and maneuverability than traditional counterparts, a capability that the Asian Giant does indeed seem interested in developing for the future.
Expanding on some details, the first photographs of the new Chinese helicopter began to appear yesterday on social media, showing the prototype in full flight and clearly highlighting its similarities with the U.S. S-97 model. In addition to the aforementioned rotor configuration, the aircraft openly displays its nearly identical fuselage shape, which is also reflected in its dimensions, landing gear design, and tail with a large horizontal stabilizer—differing only in the arrangement of its fins.
In this regard, the new, as yet unnamed helicopter would join a long list of platforms already developed by China that later drew accusations from Western actors regarding the strong similarities to their own designs. The specialized outlet The War Zone provides two illustrative examples: the Harbin Z-20 helicopters and their relation to the U.S. UH-60 Black Hawk models, and the FH-97 drones, which bear great resemblance to the XQ-58A Valkyrie.
In the absence of more details about the technical characteristics of the new aircraft, it is useful to recall that the S-97s presented by Sikorsky for the aforementioned FARA program were designed as helicopters weighing around 6,800 kilograms and capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 knots, which underscores the previously mentioned advantages over other types of rotary-wing platforms. As such, the design competed against Bell’s 360 Invictus in the program, which aimed to field a new armed reconnaissance helicopter—a role currently fulfilled by various types of drones and the AH-64 Apache family in the U.S. Army’s arsenal.
It should be remembered, however, that the FARA program ultimately proved a failure for both the industry and the U.S. Army, as it was canceled in 2024 after significant investments reaching $2 billion since 2018, with projected future expenses of $5 billion. This marked the third cancellation of such a program in three decades, including Sikorsky’s own RAH-66 Comanche, developed jointly with Boeing.
Regardless, and returning to China’s progress in the field, it is important to highlight that the appearance of this new helicopter comes just days after the unveiling of another tiltrotor model undergoing flight tests—the first of its kind in China. According to early analyses, the Asian Giant is still in the initial testing stages with both developments, and it would not be surprising if both designs undergo future modifications based on new test data. It also remains to be seen what role each of these aircraft will play and, if it comes to that, whether the Chinese Armed Forces will choose to pursue both programs in parallel or select only one for the future.
Image credits to their respective owners
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