China has developed what appears to be a new high-speed helicopter that closely resembles the U.S.-made Sikorsky S-97 Raider, drawing scrutiny from military analysts.
A video of the new aircraft surfaced online showing the helicopter during a test flight.
The footage revealed a coaxial rotor system paired with a pusher propeller in the tail, an identical configuration to the U.S. Raider. According to Chinese social media posts, the video was first published in April 2025 on a domestic version of TikTok but only recently gained wide attention.
The helicopter, sometimes referred to as the “Future High Speed Helicopter,” is presented as part of China’s effort to explore advanced rotorcraft designs. Aviation analysts noted that the design closely tracks U.S. prototypes, reinforcing a pattern in which Chinese defense industries adopt features pioneered abroad.
Andreas Rupprecht, a leading expert on Chinese military aviation, wrote: “And the surprises from China do not stop – it seems as if one currently wants to burn off true fireworks of news – because today this coaxial helicopter (probably a test carrier) was shown for the first time.”
The U.S. Sikorsky S-97 Raider, developed under the Future Vertical Lift program, introduced this coaxial design to deliver higher speeds, improved agility, and enhanced survivability compared to conventional helicopters. China’s apparent adoption of the same features suggests Beijing is testing similar performance concepts for its next generation of rotorcraft.
The new Chinese aircraft is still believed to be in a testing phase. Analysts caution that copying an airframe design does not guarantee equal performance, as success depends on propulsion, avionics, and flight control systems—areas where China continues to close gaps but faces technical hurdles.