Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in China by Air Vice Marshal A K Tiwary in IDR
28/3/13
China’s massive UAV
developmental work has unhealthy implications for India. Soon Chinese capability
will be of the latest standard and massive in size. If and when integrated in a
manner similar to the Americans, the Chinese will have great knowledge of battle
space. The Himalayan terrain is such that it is not easy to conceal and
camouflage effectively. The stealthy nature of newer UAVs will make it difficult
for India to intercept them.
Research into
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in China began in the late 1950s. Around this
time, USA flew UAVs over China to gather intelligence. In fact, one of the first
Chinese UAV was partially developed by reverse engineering the American UAV that
was lost over China. The development effort increased in the second half of the
1960s and by the 1980s had grown into three series of products i.e. the Chang
Kong 1 drones, WZ-5 high-altitude UAV and small remotely controlled D4s. The UAV
design and research organizations were founded in NAI, BIAA and NPU
Universities. While UAV programmes in China originally were based on US and
Russian designs, today the Chinese researchers are producing original and
innovative designs for mini, micro, Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) and
flapping-wing UAVs.
China’s military has
limited capability and experience with UAVs to date…
With the success of
UAVs in recent conflicts, China is looking to position itself as a major user
and exporter of UAVs. China’s research and development centres, especially
Xian’s Northwest Polytechnic University (NPU), and the Beijing and Nanjing
Universities of Aeronautics and Astronautics, have active UAV developmental
programmes. The others are the Beijing Technology Company, Beijing University of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
(CASC), Hebei Electric Power Reconnaissance Design Academy, North Western
Polytechnic University, Shaanxi Engine Design Institute and Xian ASN Technology
Group Company.
China has also
acquired UAVs from outside. In 1994, Israel’s IAI Malat sold Harpy UAVs to China
and in May 2006, the former was accused of again selling Sparrow UAVs. In August
2006, Japan’s Yamaha Motor Company was accused of selling the RMAX helicopter
UAV to Beijing Technology Company which has ties to the Chinese People’s
Liberation Army (PLA). The Japanese military, for example, used the RMAX in Iraq
for surveillance. Another report said that Yamaha exported 11 UAV helicopters to
Beijing’s Poly Technologies and to Beijing Technology Company, both of which
also have ties to the PLA.
China is creating an
entire production ecosystem for business and GA
aircraft…
China’s military has
limited capability and experience with UAVs to date. Consequently, the practical
application of UAV sensor information to battlefield operations is only in the
developmental stage. China’s armed forces have operated the Chang Hong (CH-1)
long-range, air-launched autonomous reconnaissance drone since the 1980s. China
developed the CH-1 by reverse engineering the US Fire-bee reconnaissance drones
recovered during the Vietnam War. An upgraded version of the system was
displayed at the 2000 Zhuhai air show and is being offered for export. A PRC
aviation periodical reported that the CH-1 can carry a TV, daylight still or
infra-red camera.
ASN Technology
Group, the biggest specialised UAV R&D Company in China, designed and
manufactured the first UAV in China in 1958. In the following fifty years, over
40 different types of UAV were manufactured and in total, over 1,500 UAV have
been delivered by ASN. A concept model of China’s new UAV named ‘Anjian’ (Dark
Sword) was displayed at the 47th International Paris Air Show in 2007. The
aerial combat vehicle was designed by the Shenyang Aeroplane Design Institution
under China Aviation Industry Corporation (CAIC), for future aerial combat. The
Tian Yi began testing in 2009, as Chengdu’s step toward a future Global Hawk
class HALE UAV.
General Atomics’ MQ-9 Reaper
Richard Fisher, a
UAV specialist, commented in 2010 that at the 2000 Zhuhai air show, the Guizhou
WZ-2000 was revealed. It was a squat twin-jet powered delta winged high-altitude
long-endurance UAV, which, by the 2002 Zhuhai show, evolved into a medium-sized
UAV, and by the 2008 Zhuhai show, appeared to form the basis for an armed
turbofan powered Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) similar in size to the US
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. “Since the 2006 Zhuhai show there appears to emerge
a rough division of labour, in which Chengdu and Guizhou concentrate on medium
and long range surveillance UAVs and medium-range UCAVs, while Shenyang appears
to be concentrating on future long range subsonic and supersonic
UCAVs.
The 2006 Zhuhai air
show saw the revelation, in model form, of Chengdu’s Tian Yi, which was revealed
by internet sources in 2008 to have entered testing. While it is likely to be
useful as a medium-range UAV, the Tian Yi also serves to aid the development of
Chengdu’s Long Haul Eagle, which is close in size and configuration to the
Northrop Grumman Global Hawk. In 2006, Guizhou revealed in model form, its
box-wing Soar Dragon UAV, credited with a 7,000km range but there has been no
subsequent information on this system.” Also, Shenyang Corporation created a
stir by introducing in model form its Dark Sword supersonic UCAV, about which
Shenyang has revealed very little. It was described in a small plaque as a
‘fighter’.
V-750 UAV
There has been some
suggestion that this design may have been inspired by South African technical
assistance. A new model of the Dark Sword was revealed as part of the 2009 PLAAF
Anniversary, an indication that it remains an ongoing programme. At the 2008
Zhuhai air show the forward-swept wing subsonic Warrior Eagle was revealed, also
likely a Shenyang programme. This concept appears to be a more realistic goal
technologically, if one considers it is well-suited for attack and surveillance
missions.1
The known Chinese
UAVs, 35 in number, are listed subsequently. As is generally the case, the list
of known UAVs far exceeds the ones in service use. The known list includes all
developmental efforts and only the highly successful models find their place in
Services for operational use. While much is not known about Chinese armed forces
with a degree of certainty, we need to factor in the following inputs in trying
to forecast Chinese capabilities. We should not think about Chinese aerospace
development in exclusively linear terms. Acquisitions that leverage strong
Chinese balance sheets and weak western markets can change the dynamics in a
disruptive fashion even in an industry with high entry barriers like
aerospace.2
Bird Eye 400
In 2009, Avic
acquired Fishers Advanced Composite Components, a leading European aero
structures supplier that addressed China’s weakness in advanced materials and
complex mechanical systems. It followed with the purchase in 2010 of Epic Air,
an Oregon–based general aviation kit aircraft manufacturer and in 2011 of
Continental Motors the second largest manufacturer of piston engines. But it was
the acquisition of Cirrus, an iconic general aviation aircraft manufacturer,
which caught the industry’s attention. Cirrus has delivered nearly 5,000 new
pistons airplanes – including the best-selling SR 22 family. Add to this,
in-country production facilities for Cessna and Diamond aircraft models, as well
as an Embraer regional jet production facility in Harbin, and it is clear that
China is creating an entire production ecosystem for business and GA
aircraft.3
The Chinese industry is
supported by excellent infrastructure, abundant funding and a large
workforce…
The Chinese industry
is supported by excellent infrastructure, abundant funding and a large workforce
which has been graduating from low-tech towards high-tech. Frugal engineers at
some companies are devising technologies that are cheaper and sometimes better
than their rich world equivalents.4 The Chinese government invests a fortune in
research and development. By 2020, the Beidou global positioning and navigation
systems, a set of 35 satellites equivalent to America’s Global Positioning
System, should be in place.5 This would enable Chinese UAV/ISR system their own
secure navigation and positioning system.
China’s standard
means of forcing technological transfer in any industry is to make it a
condition of market access. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is in talks with
Avic Aviation Techniques (AAT) of China for collaboration for business jets. If
it also transfers UAV related technologies, it will not surprise anyone. IAI has
produced many successful UAVs namely Mosquito, Bird Eye 400, Bird Eye 650, Heron
I, Heron TP and Eitan. Another major factor has been substantial industrial
reforms in the 1990s. The 1998 reforms were more successful and meaningful
compared to earlier cosmetic reforms. New incentives including competitive
bidding were introduced by Jiang Zemin. The reforms were more market-oriented,
encouraged competition and were less reliant on state subsidies. Twenty per cent
of the work force comprising two and a half to three million was laid off. Close
cooperation with Russia for the fourth generation fighter, with Israel for
aircraft and air to air missiles and with France for air to air and air to
surface missiles improved aerospace industry.6 Bantly Company producing B–2, a
two-seat compact helicopter based in Wichita, USA went bankrupt in1960s. In
1994, a Chinese partnership bought the assets out of bankruptcy and in 2007, the
company was acquired by a joint venture between Weifang Tianxiang Technology
Group and the People’s Republic of China, the same group that acquired Superior
Air parts in 2010. The new owners closed the plant in USA and relocated it to
China. There they modified this two seat B–2B helicopter transforming it into
the V-750 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.7
To read Part 2 http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/unmanned-aerial-
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