Chinese UAV & UCAV development

It's interesting how there doesn't seem to be models of the Dark Sword or Warrior Eagle UCAVs -- either they've been cancelled... or maybe the PLAAF is interested? Most high priority projects aren't displayed.
Anyway, the Xianglong UAV hasn't been seen either, but we all saw the video of it taxiing about a year back.

Here's a pretty nice video of the Yilong tracking and attacking ground targets with freefall bombs and HJ-10. I find it strange that HJ-10 is already being used on UAVs but we haven't seen them on WZ-9 helicopters.

YouTube - pterodactyl I UAV (hanging HJ10 and bombs ) attack the ground targets

I do wonder what other uavs they are developing which they haven't shown us, the Yilong at least seems to have progressed quite fast from the concepts we saw two years ago, to a platform that's already proven ground attack capabilities.

This is not China's newest UCAV. This has been developed for some time. It is stealthy, carries lots of weapons and electronic warfare platforms, and promises to penetrate most enemy defenses. CAIC claims that the WJ-600 is very stealthy.

However, the WJ-600 won't be ordered in big numbers since the Shenyang Darksword and Combat Eagle uavs are in testing.

YouTube - WJ-600 Combat UAV - CGI presentation at Zhuhai Airshow 2010

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I moved your post to this thread because we don't need multiple threads for Chinese UAVs. One is sufficient.

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China is making inroads in the development of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as was evident at last week's 8th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (2010 Zhuhai Airshow).


The biennial air show and defense exhibition coincided with the release of a critical report on China's military to the U.S. Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The annual report indicates China is developing a "variety of medium- and high-altitude long-endurance" UAVs that will include "options for long-range reconnaissance and strike" missions.

The Zhuhai Airshow provided plenty of examples of China's efforts in developing combat UAVs.


AVIC


The China Aviation Industry Corp. (AVIC) displayed a model of the new Pterodactyl I UAV. Similar in configuration to as the U.S.-built Raptor, the model was equipped with an unidentified air-to-ground missile under each wing. The 9nine-meter-long UAV has a wingspan of 13 meters and a fuselage width of 1 meter. Performance capabilities include a range of 4,000 kilometers, an endurance of 20 hours, maximum speed of 280 kilometers per hour and a maximum altitude of 5,000 meters. It was also outfitted with a sensor turret under the nose.


AVIC also displayed a model of the TL-8 training drone capable of simulating second- and third-generation fighter aircraft and cruise missiles. According to an AVIC brochure, the drone can operate at 0.85 Mach with a maximum flight time of 40 minutes.


The company also displayed models of two short-range fixed winged reconnaissance UAVs - Night Eagle and SW-1. Both have an operational flight time of three hours. AVIC also provided information on the new ducted-fan Whirlwind Scout. Capable of vertical takeoff and landing, the Scout has a 20-40 minute operational endurance.


AVIC also displayed four examples of its YY Series multipurpose electro-optical and multisensor turrets. The stabilized turrets allow for a variety of surveillance and reconnaissance missions, including tracking, identification, observation, range measurement, and aiming and target designation of marine, ground and air targets. The YY Series brochure showed turrets outfitted on two different unidentified UAVs and one manned helicopter.


CASC


The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC) displayed a full-scale model of an armed CH-3 UAV with air-to-ground missiles. The model was also outfitted with a sensor turret. According to a CASC brochure, the multipurpose UAV is capable of battlefield reconnaissance, fire adjustment, data relay, intelligence collection, ground-strike missions and electronic warfare (EW) missions.



"It can be modified as an unmanned attack platform to carry small precision guided weapons for performing reconnaissance/strike missions." The CH-3 has a cruising speed of 220 kilometers per hour, 12-hour maximum endurance and a 200 kilometer communications radius.


A model of the CASC CH-803 multipurpose UAV was also on display. The aircraft can perform battlefield reconnaissance, fire adjustment, intelligence collection and EW. Parameters include a cruising speed of 80-110 kilometers per hour, five-hour endurance and a communications radius of 50 kilometers.


CASC also provided new data on UAV-related products, including the "TH Mini Precise Attack Missile" for air-to-ground strike missions and the new CP-04 motor for the SK-200 turbofan-propelled UAV booster.


The "TH Mini" can be outfitted on light UAVs and be used to target stationary or low-velocity moving ground targets. The missile, armed with a 5-kilogram blast fragmentation warhead, has a maximum range of 3.2 kilometers at 277 meters per second. Guidance modes include an inertial navigation system and charge coupled-device system.


The 13 kilogram CP-04 motor "gives a boost for the UAV during take-off" then separates and falls to the ground. The motor design has been completed and batch production will soon begin, said a CASC brochure.


CASIC


No armed reconnaissance UAV received more attention than the WJ-600. Produced by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC), the jet-powered, multimission UAV was shown in a CASIC video locating a U.S. aircraft carrier and sending targeting information for a follow-on anti-ship cruise missile attack.


The WJ-600 can conduct "informationized warfare," said a CASIC display. It can be outfitted with a synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical and multisensor turret, information relay and a variety of weapons. Weapons on display included the air-to-ground KD-2 missile and two weapons with the designation "TBI" and "ZD1," which were not clearly described. Operational parameters were not provided.


Another CASIC UAV on exhibit was a stealthy tailless flying wing configuration, the SH-1. The aircraft, outfitted with a sensor turret, can perform battlefield reconnaissance, target identification and positioning, and "strike effect assessments." The SH-1 appears to be a short-range UAV with limited capabilities, though no operational parameters were provided.


ASN


The largest exhibit of UAVs was by ASN Technology Group, a company solely dedicated to UAV development and production. ASN provided new details about the ASN-229A "Reconnaissance and Precise Attack" UAV. A display of a model of the aircraft indicates it can perform reconnaissance and has a "mini precise guidance weapon system."



However, the maximum mission payload is only 100 kilograms and it is unlikely to be able to carry a weapon. The ASN-229A will have a take-off weight of 800 kilograms and a cruising speed of 160-180 kilometers per hour with an endurance of 20 hours.

China has the expertise in developing modern military weaponry including the UAVs and the anti-ship cruise missiles. However, it is likely that the US and possibly the Japanese will (or probably have) missiles to counter the Chinese threats. It apears that the arms race is accelerating in Asia. The Chinese saying "Rich Country, Strong Military" is what is practised.

And China knows that, which is why many of their UAV designs may seem a little 'crude' at first glance.

It seems likely that their recon UAVs are designed and built to be expendable and cheap to mass produce in a way western high-end UAVs are not. And when it comes to mass producing cheap and expendable items, the Chinese are certainly ahead of the US.

The US can shoot as many million dollar missiles as they like at UAVs that cost a fraction of that. The Chinese still gets an advantage even if every missile hits. After all, they would much rather those SM2 missiles be wasted on cheap UAVs so there would be fewer missiles left to intercept their cruise missiles and strike planes.

The Chinese have high-end designs very similar to western models, and they are probably not that much cheaper. Like their manned aircraft programme, it is likely that they would pursue a hi-lo mix. You have a modest number of high-end UAVs that would be long range, long endurance, stealthy and carry hign performance sonsors on the one end. On the other, you have UACVs made as cheaply as possible that can be mass produced. These are sent in to attack, almost on suicide missions, and the enemy is expected to shoot most if not all of them down. However, some of these UAVs will be armed with cheap short ranged missiles, meaning the most cost effective method of shooting them down - with CIWS or AAA is not really a viable option since you risk getting hit with a swarm of missiles if you let them get that close.

The point is to expend enemy high-end air defense missiles on targets that cost a fraction of the missiles so that the real strike package can get through with less resistance.

Pics and specs of an AVIC micro vtol uav very similar to the RQ-16 T hawk called the Whirldwind Scout...
Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





Orignal website I found the pics at: http://club.mil.news.sina.com.cn/thread-296082-1-1.htm (You can zoom in a bit to see the exact specs of the chinese uav, i can't save the zoomed pic for some reason)

shot by military fanboy...a candid video...still taxiing test......still in Si Chuang...i guess still the same airfield.
Reported its name is "Xiang Long"("翔龙")---"flying dragon" in English.





taxiing video link: http://player.56.com/v_57859621.swf

Xiang Long concept model displayed at 2006 China Zhu Hai air show:




UAV weapon system:


UAV engine:


SY-80 fire control radar:


Authority leaks the capability at 2006 Zhu Hai air show(Although a tester, cant sure ):

<---left performance is China Xiang Long,right is U.S.A Global Hawk

U.S.A Global Hawk remote platform:


PLA unknown UAV remote platform:


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Trooper is playing UAV... unknown artillery reconnaissance and fire-directing UAV:
USA:


PLA:

That video has been out for a long time.

The picture of the armed UCAV is not the Xianglong. It's the Thunderbolt UCAV, which is completely different from the Xianglong.

URLs of pix failed, i have corrected all.

This could be very useful in monitoring China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and Diaoyu Islands. It can loiter over the region for many hours and provide guidance to Type 022 missile boats.