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Drones to become ‘loyal wingmen’ for China’s advanced J-20 stealth fighter jets, state media reports
- Having unmanned aerial vehicles as the wingmen of military pilots mirrors a US air combat concept in its Next Generation Air Dominance initiative
- CCTV programme confirms why Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group’s developed twin-seat version of the J-20 – to make room for a ‘weapons officer’
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China has started researching ways to turn the country’s advanced military drones into “loyal wingmen” for the country’s most powerful fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, the J-20, state media reported.
Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) alongside piloted planes is a concept outlined by the United States in its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative.
China has tried to adopt the concept for its joint combat operations, according to the Military Technology programme on state broadcaster CCTV aired on October 12.
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In a computer-generated graphic, CCTV showed a twin-seat J-20 commanding several stealth attack drones resembling the GJ-11 Sharp Sword drone. It is the first time state media has confirmed why the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group developed a twin-seat version of the J-20 – to accommodate a “weapons officer”.
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Supported by artificial intelligence, big data, autonomous control, physical networks and other advanced technologies, China has become the world’s leading UAV developer in both the military and civilian arenas, CCTV said, adding that the country had developed different types of multirole drones of varying sizes and functions.
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