China advances drone operations military-civil fusion also Zhuhai air show
This year's air show coincided with the founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force, and the venue was in a celebratory mood.
[Beijing = Yuri Momoi] The China International Aerospace Expo (Zhuhai Air Show) was held in Zhuhai, China until the 13th. From the latest weapons of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and technological trends of companies revealed there, we will decipher China's military strategy.
The Zhuhai Air Show is held once every two years. The previous event was postponed for a year due to the spread of the new coronavirus, so this time it will be held for the second year in a row.
Following on from last year, the large number of unmanned aerial vehicles exhibited attracted attention. Military and commercial companies exhibited drones of all sizes, including aircraft and tanks.
This year, in addition to stand-alone exhibits, the system that networked unmanned aircraft, manned weapons, and the rear command system stood out. A cloud concept very similar to the "battle cloud" that the United States is building was also presented. We can see a strategy aimed at advancing wide-area operations by fusing weapons with artificial intelligence (AI) as well as improving precision-guided weapons, information speed, and sensor capabilities.
The China Arms Industry Group exhibited a group of small unmanned weapons designed to minimize casualties during siege warfare. It combines drones and tanks with loitering ammunition that has reconnaissance, communication and flight functions, and quadrupedal transporters that carry soldiers on the battlefield. It seems that each of them works in conjunction with each other and moves autonomously. It is possible that they are planning to invade Taiwan.
Several companies also exhibited "anti-drone systems," which countries are rushing to develop. China Aerospace Science and Technology Group has announced a system that can be configured flexibly according to the battle situation by individually installing low-altitude detection radar and various anti-drone weapons on the vehicle. Combined with the platform "ZK-K20" for integrated control of information analysis, strategy planning and command.
"Anti-drone system" exhibited by China Aerospace Science and Technology Group. Each large vehicle is equipped with functions such as exploration, attack, and defense.
The "ZK-K20" is called the "strongest brain" that controls the entire anti-drone system. Behind is the low-altitude search radar "DK1"
The photo above is "FK3000". The photo below shows the laser cannon system "LW30" that can shoot down drones for about 200 yen per shot and the laser irradiation port.
As for individual weapons, China Aviation Industry Group exhibited for the first time the Pterosaur 3, a large reconnaissance and attack drone with a cruising range of over 10,000 kilometers. It has a total length of 12 meters and a wingspan of 24 meters.
The Pterosaur 3 has three features: cruising range, missile-carrying capability, and versatility. With a cruising time of more than 40 hours, which is double that of conventional models, and a cruising range of more than 10,000 kilometers, the operational range extends to the US military base in Guam and India. This range is longer than the already deployed H6k bomber.
Large drone "Pterosaur 3". China boasts world-leading cruising range and performance
According to Chinese media reports, the eight underwing launchers and internal magazines can carry a total of 2.35 tons of weapons. This is about five times the payload of the Pterosaur 2, which is already in operation. Combined with its long cruising range, it is likely to contribute to enhancing the offensive capabilities of the PLA Air Force.
It also supports various weapons. It can also launch anti-fighter air-to-air missiles, which other Chinese strike drones cannot yet do.
The air-to-air missile "PL10" was installed in the aircraft exhibited at the venue (photo ㊨). The PL10 is a fourth-generation missile compared to the US "AIM9X" and has a range of about 20 kilometers. You can see how the launch rail dedicated to air-to-air missiles is attached under the wing. In addition, the anti-tank air-to-ground missile ``Blue Jay (BA) 21AR'' (photo ㊧), the satellite-guided gliding bomb ``LS6'' (same), and the guided rocket ``GR7B'' (photo ㊥) were exhibited.
The ability of the "swarm attack", in which small drones attack enemy planes like a swarm of bees, has also been improved. Two companies, China Arms Industry Group and China Electronic Technology Group, each unveiled small vehicles capable of launching a salvo of drones with folding wings. The attack sends dozens to hundreds of drones toward the target. Even if most of them are shot down, if only a few of them destroy important facilities or crash on the runway, it will lead to a decline in combat capability, so it is considered a difficult attack to defend against.
"Bee attack system" exhibited by China Electronic Technology Group. Fires a large number of "suicidal drones" and attacks the enemy like a swarm of bees.
"The Chinese People's Liberation Army's greatest weakness lies in its people," says Bonji Kohara, senior research fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. "The expected high casualties associated with landing operations will be unacceptable to Chinese society. Drones will become more important in operations." The United States is also focusing on the field of unmanned aircraft, and a war of attrition between "machine vs. machine" and "machine vs. human" is expected.
At this air show, we were able to get a glimpse of how companies in the civil sector are entering the military industry, reflecting President Xi Jinping's "military-civilian fusion" policy.
Guangdong Hongda, whose main business is mine demolition, exhibited a series of missile weapons, including the HD1 supersonic cruise missile. The company entered the military industry in earnest under the Xi administration. The HD1 has already obtained an export license.
Supersonic cruise missile "HD1" developed by Guangdong Hongda
A person involved in a private company that develops special titanium alloys said, "The military-civilian fusion has been a big plus for our business. With government support, the military field is already profitable."
With Russia's invasion of Ukraine prolonging the war, it is beginning to be pointed out that Russia has a shortage of weapons. Mr. Xi's military-civilian fusion policy may not only be aimed at accelerating technological development, but it may also be aimed at ensuring a stable supply of weapons during wartime.
In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the high-mobility rocket artillery system "SR5" developed by China Weapons Industry Group became a hot topic again. The SR5 is called the "Chinese version of HIMARS" because it resembles the high-mobility rocket artillery system "HIMARS" developed by the US military. The Hymers provided to the Ukrainian army was a "game changer" in the war situation.
The U.S. military's Hymers can fire a salvo of six 227mm rockets in more than 10 seconds, and has a high hit rate against targets nearly 100 kilometers away. The SR5's launchers are modular, allowing for four 300mm rockets, six 220mm rockets, and twenty 122mm rockets, making it flexible for a variety of weapons, including loitering and anti-ship missiles. It is characterized by being able to correspond to In addition to operational needs, it seems to ensure diversity for export expansion.
There has been little progress in military aircraft. The current main force is the generation called “20 series” of China Aviation Industry Group. This time, the "Unyu 20", which is a large transport aircraft "Y20" remodeled into an aerial refueling aircraft, showed its first flight demonstration. The People's Liberation Army Air Force has revealed that it conducted aerial refueling training using the Refueling 20 at sea this summer. The use of aerial refueling aircraft will make it possible to greatly extend the cruising range of fighter aircraft.
An aerial refueling tanker "Unyu 20" showed its flight demonstration for the first time. I took out three fuel supply pipes
In the fighter field, the state-of-the-art stealth fighter "J20" was unveiled to the public for the first time on the ground. After the flight demonstration, he briefly appeared on the tarmac. I was able to confirm that it had many wings, such as a front wing (canard) and a small wing under the tail. Many wings improve maneuverability and stability at the expense of stealth. Issues such as the lack of propulsion power of domestic engines can be seen.
On the other hand, there was no model of the long-range stealth strategic bomber "H20" under development. The aircraft is rumored to be capable of striking as far as Guam and Hawaii, but the design has not been disclosed and was expected to be unveiled at this year's air show. It is also pointed out that there are problems in engine development.
There were rumors that the cutting-edge stealth carrier-based fighter "J35" would also be unveiled for the first time, but it did not appear. The J35 is expected to be used as a carrier-based aircraft on China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, equipped with an electromagnetic catapult, which was launched in June this year. It is expected to improve the capabilities of China's carrier strike groups.
In his activity report at the Chinese Communist Party Congress held in October, Mr. Xi called for the modernization of the People's Liberation Army, saying, "We will accelerate the development of operational capabilities using unmanned aircraft and AI, and the construction and operation of information network systems." . From this air show, it became clear that in response to Mr. Xi's policy, the development of unmanned aircraft and the fusion with AI are progressing rapidly. On the other hand, it can also be seen that China is following the US concept and strategy. It may be some time before China builds a military that can compete with the United States in quality as well as quantity.
With the improvement of sensor capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) and weapons are fused,
"We will accelerate the development of operational capabilities using unmanned aircraft and AI, and the construction and operation of information network systems," he said. From this air show, it became clear that in response to Mr. Xi's policy, the development of unmanned aircraft and the fusion with AI are progressing rapidly.
