JayBird
Junior Member
Very surprising the new estimate is only 13.6m long. A Su-27 is 21.94M, it doesn't looks like Divine eagle is that much shorter than the SU-27 from the above pic.
Chinese UAV/UCAV development
- Thread starter AssassinsMace
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Very surprising the new estimate is only 13.6m long. A Su-27 is 21.94M, it doesn't looks like Divine eagle is that much shorter than the SU-27 from the above pic.
lcloo
Captain
I think the estimate is about right. Here I cut and paste from the original picture.
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JayBird
Junior Member
At 58 seconds mark of the video, that's the Wing Loong chief designer. He is talking about new weapons testing for Wing Loong and now it can use 8 different types of munitions from just being able to use 2 types in the begining.
It increase Wing Loong's real combat capabilities significantly because in real life scenarios and diferent environments you need mutliple types of munitions against different types of targets. And it's in batch production since last year.
Would be interesting how many of these weapons are also in PLAAF-/PLANAF-service or if they were integrated for export customers only.
In any case it would be interesting since - I'm not sure but I think I saw a LS-6-bomb - it would either mean the PLA uses finally more different such munitions than known or the Wing Loon is not only for the PLA but also - in competition to the CH-4 - what weapons are available for export.
Deino
JayBird
Junior Member
The other AVIC guy talk about UCAV is not just simply a stand alone equipment, it's a whole large system including UAV, communication/transmission technology, and munitions. The development of UCAV affect many other areas of the military tech industry.
The last part he said with the increasing fleet of Wing Loong, they are getting important feedbacks from user(s), it's very helpful getting more information and important feebacks on how to continue improve the Wing Loong system. Including cases of real sample usage of the UCAV. ( Not exercise or field testing) But no mention of the user is PLA or expert customers.
But I don't know what real experience cases PLA could use UCAV on at this time other than exercise.... maybe anti-terror or just border reconnaissance? The only way they get real combat experience and feedback from expert customers is Pakistan or some Middle-Eastern countries.
plawolf
Lieutenant General
The most obvious and notable way the PLA have used UAVs in real operations would have been during disaster relief operations.
You don't always need bullets to fly to get real world operational experience.
A little bit conspiratorial, but it would not be beyond the realm of possibility for Pakistan to allow Chinese UCAVs to engage Uighur terrorists in Pakistani boarder and tribal areas. Especially if it was not publically announced to minimise public backlash in Pakistan.
So long as the PLA strikes are kept clean (ie not civilian casualties), I don't think anyone would care enough to go digging, and in all likelihood, the strikes would just chalk it up as more American drone strike. In this respect, I think active Pakistani ISI support would be far more useful for China than they are for America.
It has never even been hinted that ISI actively support Uighur insurgents against China, nor would they have any reasons for doing so. And having reliable targeting intel from operatives on the ground would make a tremendous difference.
After all, the biggest issue with UCAV use has been reliable target info. Missiles and bombs rarely go astray these days, so the vast majority of civilian deaths have resulted from unreliable targeting information and highly questionable engagement practices (the so-called "double tap" tactic of hitting a target, waiting for first response rescuers to arrive, and then hitting them is a war crime plain and simple.)
plawolf
Lieutenant General
Just to add, it was reported that during the manhunt for the drug kingpin responsible for the massacre of Chinese sailors on the Mekong river, the Chinese used drones to track him, and even briefly considered the possibility of taking him out with a drone strike.
I am guessing those drones were PLA units rather than police (never heard of Chinese police using drones, certainly not armed ones). So that's another example of real life operational use of PLA drones, cross boarders at that.
The very fact that they considered the option of a drone strike (it was ruled out for mainly political reasons rather than technical) as a viable option also speaks volumes of how confident they were with them.
Considering this was a very high profile operation, and the fact that the target was on foreign soil, the PLA would have had to be extremely confident of their drones to even suggest the idea.
It could be that they were just itching to get a chance to use their shinny new UCAVs in a live operation, but it could also suggest that that would not have been their first rodeo, as the saying goes.
I am guessing those drones were PLA units rather than police (never heard of Chinese police using drones, certainly not armed ones). So that's another example of real life operational use of PLA drones, cross boarders at that.
The very fact that they considered the option of a drone strike (it was ruled out for mainly political reasons rather than technical) as a viable option also speaks volumes of how confident they were with them.
Considering this was a very high profile operation, and the fact that the target was on foreign soil, the PLA would have had to be extremely confident of their drones to even suggest the idea.
It could be that they were just itching to get a chance to use their shinny new UCAVs in a live operation, but it could also suggest that that would not have been their first rodeo, as the saying goes.
JayBird
Junior Member
Oh yeah... That's a good example and possibility for Wing Loong real life operational usage Wolfy! I remember reading about that story now. I was kind of disappointed at the time they only considered taking that drug kingpin out with drone strike but didn't go through with the decision.
I was probably more itching than PLA/Police to see Chinese UCAV in real action against the cold blooded killer who murdered so many Chinese sailors at the time. But I think capturing him alive and bring him back to China for justice was the right decision at the end.
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