China’s anti-drone defences to take centre stage at the Zhuhai air show
- Developers say system combines missile technology and AI to ward of unmanned flying vehicles
- The J-20 stealth fighter will also be on display on the ground for the first time
The systems are designed to detect and intercept swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at low altitudes and combine air-defensive, artificial intelligence and anti-missile technology.
They will be on show for the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province until Sunday.
State-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), the country’s biggest missile maker and air-defence developer, said its system, the ZR-1500, integrated early-warning detection, command and control, as well as interception missiles.
CASIC official Wang Wengang told state-owned Global Times that the system combined portable missiles from the PLA’s active HQ-17AE short-range missile defences, sophisticated radars, and its multiple purpose unmanned vehicle to form a “cost-saving, tight, dragnet defensive network to detect and intercept incoming aircraft and drones”.
“In the system, the ZR-1500 unmanned vehicle just needs two people to operate in the rear area, but it could support an 11-member infantry with firepower, intelligence and logistic supplies on the front line,” Wang was quoted as saying.
“The system is like a Lego toy that is able to make flexible modular configuration, while its unmanned operation, far-reaching support and other capabilities might set up a new type of deterrence force.”
01:19
China’s PLA Air Force aims to improve pilot training on J-20 fighter jets
The advanced stealth fighters were seen in the skies over the city and landed at Jinwan airport, where the air show will be held, on Saturday afternoon, according to state-owned China National Radio.
They are among the 50 types of weapons the People’s Liberation Army Air Force would send to this year’s air show to highlight equipment put into service since 2000, Chinese air force spokesman Shen Jinke told state broadcaster CCTV.
Shen said the J-20 would be on display on the ground for the first time, along with other “20 series” aircraft such as the Y-20 heavy lifter and Z-20 helicopter.
The J-20 made its maiden flight in 2011 and was first shown to the public at the 2016 Zhuhai air show, a year before it went into service.
The first J-20s used Russian engines but later models were equipped with two modified WS-10 Chinese engines.
“But video footage revealed by CCTV showed all the J-20s displayed on the ground are all the initial batch of aircraft that were equipped with Russian engines, not the upgraded versions of the J-20B,” Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Tong said.
01:56
Mighty Dragon: China’s upgraded J-20 stealth fighter
Shen said the Y-20U, an aerial tanker, and the air force’s active GJ-2 attack drone, also known as Wing Loong II, would make their public flight debuts at the air show.
Flying schedules announced by the organisers said the PLA’s reconnaissance and assault UAVs like the BT-100 that was sent near Taiwan earlier this year would also make appearances.
The Zhuhai air show has become a weapons display platform for Chinese weapon developers and manufacturers to showcase their new products for potential domestic and overseas clients.
