Troops rappel from a Z-20K helicopter during the China-Belarus Swift Eagle 2026 joint training exercise. Photo: Website of China's Ministry of National Defense

After the China-Belarus Swift Eagle 2026 joint training exercise concluded on Monday, footage released by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force on Tuesday showed the Z-20K helicopter was in action. A Chinese military affairs expert said the drill's choice to carry out helicopter rappelling, air assault and parachute insertion over fixed-wing transport highlights the counter-terrorism's need for flexibility and precision, and proves the Z-20K is now combat-ready for such missions.

The closing ceremony of the Swift Eagle 2026 was held on Monday at a PLA Air Force training center, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Launched on August 12, the joint training exercise was organized in three phases: basic training, coordinated refinement and comprehensive drills. 

Chinese and Belarusian troops operated in mixed formations, focusing on joint urban counter-terror operations and conducting realistic drills covering reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, seizure and defense, and clearance and consolidation, effectively testing the two militaries' joint command and counter-terror capabilities.

Footage released by the PLA Air Force on Tuesday showed troops rappelling from a Z-20K helicopter.

Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the choice of helicopters as the primary airborne platform for urban counter-terror operations was a highlight of the drill.

The Z-20K is more practical for counter-terror missions than large, fixed-wing transport aircraft, which are better suited for large-scale battlefield deployment. Counter-terror operations demand greater flexibility and precision, making helicopter-based air assault, rappelling and parachute insertion more aligned with operational needs, Wang said.

The Z-20K being deployed in an international joint military exercise demonstrates that the platform has achieved the technical reliability and training readiness required for counter-terror and localized operations, Wang said.

Wang assumed that the Z-20K has now reached a mature stage and is likely to appear in more international joint exercises in the future, as well as play a significant role in the PLA's own counter-terror operations.

According to state broadcaster CCTV News, the Z-20K is the airborne force's primary air assault platform. Painted silver-white, it can carry an entire squad for air assaults while also supporting equipment sling-loading and casualty or supply transport.

The Z-20K and other support aircraft have also made a cross-continental journey of thousands of kilometers to participate in the ongoing China-Egypt Eagles of Civilization 2026 joint training exercise, CCTV reported.

According to Xinhua, this marks the fourth Swift Eagle joint training exercise between China and Belarus. Swift Eagle has become an important platform for joint counter-terror cooperation between the two militaries, playing a significant role in deepening practical military cooperation and jointly maintaining regional peace and stability.

Given the security context, with Belarus positioned at the forefront of regional tensions, the counter-terror theme of the exercise aligns with the security needs of both sides and injects new stability and certainty into regional peace, Wang noted.

The previous iteration of the Swift Eagle exercise took place in 2015.

Wang Ya'nan, editor-in-chief of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times previously that Belarus and China share a common long-term interest in discussing counter-terrorism. After a hiatus of several years, the resumption of Swift Eagle provides an opportunity to promote in-depth cooperation in defense and mutual trust, serving as a point of common interest for both sides.