A new generation of China-made combat drones have made their international debut at the Dubai Airshow, in a pitch for global orders as the producer, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), brags that Chinese aerial-photography vehicles are not only capable of capturing stunning images and videos of things on the ground, but that its militarized drones are also able to attack and destroy them.
The Yunying stealth drones are being marketed as the pinnacle of AVIC’s research and development capabilities, aimed at tapping the buoyant demand for attack drones from militaries worldwide.
Measuring 9 meters in length and 17 meters in wingspan and with normal takeoff weight rumored to be 3 tons, the Yunying prototypes on display at the airshow appear larger than a compact plane in size, comparable to a helicopter.
These drones can ascend higher and beyond the reach of most surface-to-air missiles thanks to powerful, turbo engines, and can gather intel or launch attacks against targets on land or in the sea from a high altitude, Global Times reports, quoting an AVIC technician.
Three types are available. Yunying 1, equipped with ultra-high-resolution long-range optic cameras as well as synthetic aperture radar, is capable of scanning and imaging 10,000 square kilometers per hour from an altitude of 13km, while full-band radar signal sensors and cellular network sensors on Yunying 2 can pinpoint all surface radar and communication devices within a radius of 400km and 200km respectively. Both models can proactively make sharp changes in flight trajectory.
Yunying 3, a highly maneuverable target drone, is the ace of the product line, packed with all the features of the above reconnaissance models, plus enhanced airborne attack systems that can destroy targets 50km away, according to AVIC.
Photos from the airshow indicate Yunying 3 is able to carry China’s Ying Ji-9E anti-ship missiles.
Chinese news portal Sina says in a separate report that Yunying 3 can carry up to six missiles on its wings, which makes it much easier to detect but enables it to attack the targets it finds immediately.
All Yunying drones may coordinate with each other in combat through data links to enable others including the reconnaissance attack version to attack the targets they find.
All Yunying drones are manufactured by AVIC’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, a specialist in jet-fighter R&D in southwestern China’s Sichuan province.
Global Times reveals that “a dozen” overseas clients and foreign defense ministries have indicated interest, though the newspaper doesn’t specify who these prospective buyers might be.
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First of all China is all about business while America is about creating an advance defense system a money can buy to protect American freedom . America’s first advanced stealth fighters were developed back in the early 50’s while China just recently developed theres. China is essentially 50 years behind. How can you compare the technology of both countries ? Logic is required.
Shares an uncanny resemblance to the Predator
Most of them bombs fell on civilian citizens; women, children and the disabled.
> 25 Nov 2017
Ken Nguyen
Thats good
Thats what the World is looking forward to
AND
That China will also put in practise
RIGHTEOUNESS in conscience
JUSTICE in humanity
PROSPER thy neighbours
FAIR in all deals
PEACE without violence
Above all
RESPECT for all others
GOD BLESS ALL PEACE LOVERS
.
Michael Collins Negroe Snr perhaps you missed the sarcasm of his post…
Boying Manuel
Please explain why US drones are unable to spot and destroy opium fields. Opium production has tripled in Afghanistan and there is an opiate edidemic in USA killing tens of thousands of innocent Americans
International politics are not characterised by fairnerss, the desire for peace, justice, or democracy. It is all about the manipulation of situations and the role of allies in order to bring about the desired effects, which are not necessarilly in the interests of human beings or human rights. Nothing about international politics is reassuring, and no one occupies the moral highground. That is the sad reality of the current state of the world post WW2. You can unpack the foreign policy of any country to-day and nothing is based on concerns for the world at large, or the well-being of human beings. People can rationalise their arguments until they are blue in the face, but that is just a fact of contemporary life wherever you wish to focus.
Jimmy Fivon Yeo And, should the USA keep it’s thoughts to itself? Seems to be that you have a rationalised moral/ethical stand. I point at the USA for the simple fact that it is a nuclear-armed super power that could cause enormous harm to the rest of the world, and it’s rhetoric is not reassuring at all.
Jimmy Fivon Yeo , So? You need to decide for yourself about the morality involved here.
Chee Sheong Lee is this an irony?
Errol Lawson USA does not write a letter to anyone. It attacked Iraq in the name of WMDs and killed half a million people and the entire country. It destroyed Libya and Afghanistan in the name of terror after the inside job of 9/11. The total number of people killed in these countries exceed 1.5 million. so Why would this REAL TERRORIST care about collateral damage when it does not care about millions for the sake of oil and money of others.