SA 316 in service with the Army Aviation Corps Training Regiment (Click to enlarge)
China obtained a small number of the French-made Aerospatiale SA 316 Alouette III utility helicopter in the early 1970s. Licensed co-production or reverse engineering was considered but the project was later abandoned. These helicopters were originally operated by the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) for liaison and communication roles, and later handed over to the Army Aviation Corps in the late 1980s for training role. Currently they are flown by the Army Aviation Corps Training School based in Shahe, Beijing.
