WAR.WIRE
China carries out test flight of new military helicopter gunship
 BEIJING (AFP) Dec 28, 2004
 China has carried out its first test flight of a new helicopter gunship that is to help propel the People's Liberation Army into the 21st century, state media said Tuesday.

The Zhi-11, an armed version of a civilian series of the same name, was tested at Lumeng airport in eastern China's Jiangxi province Monday, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The test flight took place on the same day that the Chinese government issued a defense white paper stressing the need to modernize the armed forces.

The Zhi-11 helicopter passed official appraisal four years ago and research on an armed military version began in early 2004, according to Xinhua.