Beijing, Sept.06 (China Defense Mashup Report by Johnathan Weng) -- The PLA Navy (PLAN) acquired 13 examples of the French-made SA 321Ja Super Frelon helicopter in the early 1970s. In the early 1980s, the Super Frelons were frequently used by the PLAN for ship-based operations in ASW, search and rescue (SAR), and maritime logistic supply roles. Changhe Aircraft Factory (now Changhe Aircraft Industry Group, CAIG) began to develop Z-8, a reverse-engineered copy of the SA 321Ja, in 1976. Low-rate production of the Z-8 began in the early 1990s, with 2~3 examples produced each month. The Z-8JH is the MEDEVAC variant in Z-8 family.