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China is working on a new high-speed combat drone to pair with its J-20 stealth fighter
- Chinese reports say it could become another ‘loyal wingman’ for the Mighty Dragon
- A prototype of the drone, known as the FH-97A, was unveiled at the Zhuhai air show
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China is developing a new cutting-edge combat drone to operate alongside – and potentially match the speed of – its most advanced stealth fighter jet, the J-20 Mighty Dragon.
A prototype of the unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) – known as the FH-97A – was unveiled at the biennial Zhuhai air show in southern China in November. Chinese military magazines have since reported that it could become another “loyal wingman” for the J-20.
“The pairing of the FH-97A and the J-20 will free up the J-20 from frontline combat tasks so that it can specialise in functions such as command and control, data distribution and interruption of communication,” according to a report in the latest edition of Naval and Merchant Ships magazine.
It said this would improve the survival rate of pilots and manned fighter jets during battle.
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State broadcaster CCTV in October revealed how drones were being incorporated into combat operations alongside piloted aircraft, with a computer-generated graphic showing a twin-seat J-20 commanding several stealth attack drones that resembled the GJ-11 UCAV.
It was seen as confirmation of the role of the J-20 back-seat pilot as a “weapons officer” controlling the UCAVs.
The new combat drone, the FH-97A, has a similar fuselage design to the J-20, suggesting it could potentially fly as fast as the Mighty Dragon, according to a December report in Ordnance Industry Science Technology, another Chinese military magazine.
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