Chinese UAV/UCAV development

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Deino

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Any info WHERE these images were taken ?? Initial rumours suggested at Shenyang ... but are there any news in this regard ??
 

Blitzo

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xposting from CDF....

Huitong's done a write up of the plane.
I'm not sure if I agree with his assessment.
From the study before, the role of this UAV probably includes surface as well as air surveillance duties -- as in its role isn't only as an anti stealth platform.
And modern meter wave radars like UHF AESAs should be effective against stealthy targets at longer distances and with higher accuracy than legacy radars... They're not exactly sticking a type 517 onto a UAV here. In fact, detecting stealthy aircraft at close range would effectively mean sacrificing these platforms given the opposing stealth fighters with ESM can quite easily eliminate such forward placed UAVs without issue.

I imagine this UAV would be placed between the back benches where AEW&C would fly, and between the front lines where fighters and stealth fighters would be present, and instead do patrols somewhere in the middle where its unmanned and long endurance nature means it is worth risking at a more forward position relative to AEW&C, but also it is far enough away from the enemy where its radar can still have an AEW role. I suppose this UAV should in a way be considered AEW&C, but the C part would be done offboard on a dedicated AEW&C or ground station.

The concept of Divine Eagle is also better compared to the USAF's cancelled Sensorcraft rather than S-62, in not only configuration but role


This large high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV has been under development at 601 Institute/SAC as an "anti-stealth" AEW platform. The UAV features a novel twin fuselage/twin vertical tailfin design with the straight main wings extending from the rear fuselage. It also has a small wing structure connecting the forward sections of twin fuselages. A SATCOM antenna is thought to be installed inside one of the head bulges. The UAV is thought to be powered by a turbofan engine (WS-11?) located above the main wing and between the two vertical tainfins. As an AEW platform Divine Eagle is expected to have multiple meter wave radar antennas installed inside the forward fuselages facing different directions. The meter wave radar is capable of detecting stealth aircraft at a relatively close range with less accuracy. Therefore Divine Eagles typically fly in a group formation ahead and are controlled via datalink by an AWACS flying behind in a safe distance or the ground station protected by the air defense system. As the result the UAV can extend both the detecting range and accuracy of the AWACS against stealth aircraft. The design of Divine Eagle appear to share some similarity with the Russian Sukhoi S-62 concept which first appeared around 2000.
 

delft

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I would have the one or two radar emitted flying far behind a larger number of receivers. So the receivers can be more stealthy and use less power.
 
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