Published: Dec 1, 2016 6:27 p.m. ET
By
JuricaDujmovic Columnist
For cash-strapped countries, Chinese drones are just the ticket
A model Wing Loong unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made by the Aviation Industry Corp. of China stands on display at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 11, 2014.
Not too long ago, Chinese dollar stores could be found on almost every corner in Croatia, and everyone knew that if you couldn’t afford a quality product, there was bound to be a “good enough” knock-off available in those shops.
The same thing could be said for Chinese drones. Unlike those made in the U.S., Chinese drones are cheap and readily available. For
, the price of a single U.S.-made MQ-1 Predator, one could buy four Chinese
units.
Not too long ago, Chinese dollar stores could be found on almost every corner in Croatia, and everyone knew that if you couldn’t afford a quality product, there was bound to be a “good enough” knock-off available in those shops.
The same thing could be said for Chinese drones. Unlike those made in the U.S., Chinese drones are cheap and readily available. For
, the price of a single U.S.-made MQ-1 Predator, one could buy four Chinese
units.
“China is known to have difficulties in developing aero-engine technology, and this is also true for UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) engines,” Kelvin Wong, an Asia-Pacific defense-technology reporter at IHS, wrote in an email to the
. “As a result, Chinese UAVs are generally less capable in terms of performance.”
The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, made in the U.S., is the most recognizable drone in the world, owing to its role in the war on terror.
So who would buy drones that can’t compete with their U.S. counterparts? Countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. With a price tag of $1 million, Wing Loong drones are much cheaper than, say,
, which makes any losses easier to bear for cash-strapped countries struggling to keep up with the requirements of modern warfare.
So who would buy drones that can’t compete with their U.S. counterparts? Countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. With a price tag of $1 million, Wing Loong drones are much cheaper than, say,
, which makes any losses easier to bear for cash-strapped countries struggling to keep up with the requirements of modern warfare.
But price alone isn’t the only factor in this equation. The main “culprit” for flourishing Chinese international drone sales seems to be the U.S. itself or, more specifically, its rigorous export regulations and restrictions. As a signatory to various export-limiting
, as well as tight domestic regulations, the U.S. has severely limited export options of its own drone technology to allies and other countries. Those countries in many cases have no other choice but to turn to China, which is more than happy to supply them with perhaps inferior, but much more affordable, drone units.
And China is rapidly advancing in drone technology. A few weeks ago, China’s
featured many new drones available to the ever-increasing number of interested buyers, as well as an insight into future developments. Those units are some of the most advanced Chinese models to hit the market.
The Zhuhai 2016 Airshow in China featured the CH-5, which has a flight time of 60 hours and a 4,039-mile range, which rivals the U.S.’s MQ-9 Reaper.
China has shown that in the future it will be more than capable of meeting, or even surpassing, expectations. The show featured the Cloud Shadow, China’s first stealth drone; “marsupial” drones that can be attached to an aircraft and released like bombs; and a video demonstration of coordinated drone swarms. By filling the void made by the U.S., China has positioned itself as a global supplier of drones, a force to be reckoned with.
The availability of stealth drones on the open market is worrisome. Older Chinese models were slow and incapable of reaching higher altitudes, which made them more appropriate for fighting insurgencies and local adversaries. I could easily see how an upgraded model of the Cloud Shadow — along with its long-range weaponry — could be used as an asset not only in local conflicts, but internationally as well.
It will be interesting to see how China’s ever-growing influence on the drone market will affect the global balance of power.The Chinese still haven’t made a big splash yet, simply because their drone market is saturated with client-countries lacking large military budgets. The fact remains that these drones will be more than capable of tipping the scales in various smaller international conflicts, and as history has taught us, these conflicts more often than not fuel larger ones.
What do you think about Chinese drones? Should the U.S. offer its drones on the global market just as China does? Please let me know in the comment section below.
