China displayed a jet UAV prototype equipped with a modular capsule, capable of launching small drones at the Zhuhai air show.
China’s Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) this week displayed a prototype or full-scale model of its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) named “Jiutian” as part of the Zhuhai Air Show.
One of the attention-grabbing parts on Cuu Thien is the storage compartment with the words “drones storage module” on the side of the aircraft, showing that this UAV model applies the “mother – child” principle. , can carry a module that specializes in launching a series of small drones to attack swarms.
“China is interested in the ability to launch a series of drones from many means, including high-altitude balloons,” Joseph Trevithick, editor of the military website War Zone of America, said.
The Nine Heavens UAV was brought to the display area at the Zhuhai Air Show on November 6. Image: X/Hurin92
“Drone swarms bring a number of military advantages, including quickly dispersing forces over large areas to perform many tasks such as intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, surveillance, and combat. electronics and attacks. Large numbers of drones also pose a significant challenge to the enemy’s air defense network,” Trevithick said.
The UAV uses a horizontal wing design with no beveled corners and an additional glide wing at the tip. The jet turbine engine is located on the back of the aircraft and the H-shaped tail wing. The UAV’s nose contains radar and communication equipment, below is a sensor cluster and an infrared – electro-optical camera. Under the wing there are 4 pylons, but it is unclear what types of weapons and equipment can be mounted on the aircraft.
Some countries have been researching a system similar to the drone swarm launch module on the Cuu Thien UAV. The US once developed a launch tube that can deploy 32 small UAVs at once to install on the P-8 Poseidon, turning the patrol plane into a mother plane that specializes in launching baby drones.
“Mother-child UAVs help improve this capability, while reducing the risks that manned vehicles face in combat zones,” Trevithick assessed.
The compartment holds the drone launch module on the Cuu Thien UAV. Image: CCTV
The Cuu Thien UAV has a maximum takeoff weight of about 10 tons, much larger than many current Chinese drones. The CH-6 armed UAV uses a jet engine, first appearing in 2021, with a maximum takeoff mass of about 7.8 tons. Pterodactyl 3, the largest variant of the Pterodactyl line, has a maximum takeoff mass of 6 tons.
“Cuu Thien shows China’s significant and constantly increasing investment efforts to supplement and enhance UAV combat capabilities. It does not apply a stealth design, but could be an important addition to China’s unmanned weapons arsenal, helping the country own a line of mother-son UAVs to launch attacks with drone swarms,” Trevithick stated.
The Zhuhai Air Show has been held every two years in the city of the same name in Guangdong province since 1996 to present. This year’s exhibition takes place on November 12-17 with representatives of Chinese and Russian aviation companies and demonstration aircraft teams of several countries.