Chinese UAV/UCAV development

Huge unmanned aerial vehicle spotted at Chinese production facility
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In Chinese social media were released photographs of a huge unmanned aerial vehicle was spotted at the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SYAC) production facility.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) it was located near the hangar and was hidden in a protective case. The UAV has twin-fuselage design and according to local experts, it is new Chinese Divine Eagle high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle.

The Divine Eagle is currently the one of the largest UAV in the world with a wingspan of 35 to 50 meters. The design of Divine Eagle appears to share some similarity with the Russian Sukhoi S-62 UAV concept which first appeared around 2000.

According to a local source, the UAV is currently undergoing flight tests. It has a maximum flight ceiling of 25 km and a maximum speed of Mach 0.8.The UAV is thought to be powered by a medium-thrust turbofan engine without A/B (WS-12 without A/B) located above the main wing and between the two fuselages. The fuselages have bulbous noses that house satellite communication antennas, and the canard wing is mounted between them but not at the leading edge.


Divine eagle drone 3D model by BestMesh / cgtrader.com

The Divine Eagle UAV expected to provide an early warning line to detect threats to China’s airspace, like cruise missiles and stealth bombers, as well as be able to take on such missions as hunting for aircraft carriers in the open waters of the Pacific.

The first confirmed photo of Divine Eagle in mid-2015 when a photograph of it taxiing was published on the internet.


Divine eagle drone 3D model by BestMesh / cgtrader.com

Wakingbake said:

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Is there a certain reason why you have two accounts: one as this and one as camelbird ??

You know that this is forbidden and will immediately lead to a permanent ban?

Deino

How does it manage to detect stealth fighters, bombers, and cruise missiles?

ougoah said:

How does it manage to detect stealth fighters, bombers, and cruise missiles?

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Because it has anti stealth radar
The JY-26 "Skywatch" AESA Radar, operates in the long wave band to detect stealth aircraft, which are often optimized against detection by shorter wavelenghts. The JY-26 is claimed to have a range of 500km and Chinese media claimed it detected F-22 Raptor fighters off the South Korean coast in mid 2014. The Divine Eagle is likely to have similar radar technology to detect stealth bomber and fighters at long range.

Our friend Skywatcher aka Jeffrey Lin did a good write up on the subject based on Chinese forum. Here it is

Divine Eagle

The Divine Eagle is a low observable, high altitude UAV meant detect stealth aircraft at long ranges, using special purpose radars.

, tiexue.net, cdjby.net

Photos have emerged of the Divine Eagle, perhaps China's most ambitious drone design. Planned to hunt stealth planes from afar, it could turn out to be not just the world's largest drone, but one of the most important to the future of war.


One Big Bird

While this might look like two UAVs, it's actually one. The Divine Eagle uses a twin fuselage configuration, in order to optimize both fuel efficiency and maximize surface area for the installation of conformal radar arrays.

Milint

While the Divine Eagle reportedly first flew in February 2015, filtered photos of the UAV have only now emerged on the Chinese Internet (filtering photos to blur visual details is one way Chinese Internet denizens avoid censorship). The timing is notable. Coming shorty after the release of the first Chinese defense White Paper calling for Chinese military expeditionary capabilities and high profile Sino-Russian naval exercises, the Divine Eagle is a visual announcement that China's building unique technologies that could change the brewing arms race in the Asia Pacific.


Real Deal

Compared to original design concepts, the Divine Eagle prototype has less stealthy features, such as conventional vertical stabilizers (upright tailfins), and an unshielded engine intake located in between the tailfins.

Milint via cjdby.net

The details on the photo confirm that the Divine Eagle is a single engine, twin bodied aircraft with two large vertical stabilizers (tails). Compared to the initial concept art and drawings available in February, the latest Divine Eagle iteration is less stealthy, having two satellite communications domes, completely vertical tails and an exposed engine intake. Determining the Divine Eagle's size is difficult, but assuming that the fuselage has a diameter of 1.2-1.5 meters (large enough to accommodate stealth detecting UHF radars), the photo suggests a fuselage height to length ratio of 1:12, giving a probable length of 14.4 meters to 18 meters. Gauging the wingspan is more difficult, but it may likely be 40-50 meters in width.


360 Radars

The 7 radars include a X/UHF AMTI Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar on the front, two X/UHF AMTI/SAR/GMTI AESA radars on the twin booms, two X/UHF AMTI AESA radars on either side of the engine nozzles, and two more radars on the end of the booms. AMTI and GMTI radars are used for tracking air and surface targets, respectively, while SAR is used to provide detailed imagines of ground targets like bases and infrastructure.

Hongjian and henri K

The Divine Eagle is planned to carry multiple Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, of the AMTI, SAR and GMTI varities. Airborne Moving Target Indicator (AMTI) radar types are used to track airborne targets, like enemy fighters and cruise missiles. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) provides high resolution of slow moving ground vehicles and enemy bases. Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radars are ideal for identifying and tracking ships, such as aircraft carriers. X/UHF band radars, which include the "F-22 killer" JY-26 that debuted at Zhuhai 2014, have raised concerns in the American military that they could track stealth aircraft like the F-35 fighter and B-2 bomber at long ranges.


Divine Eagle Hunts

The offensive applications of the Divine Eagle are demonstrated here, as two Divine Eagles mark out not just the enemy aircraft carrier, but also its escorting warships and aviation wing, while vectoring friendly aircraft and ships into combat. One presumes that the Divine Eagle would also be able to find targets for the infamous DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile.

Hongjian via China Defense Forum

As a High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) UAV, the Divine Eagle would prove incredibly useful in both offensive and defensive operations. Its long range anti-stealth capabilities can be used against both aircraft, like the B-2 bomber, and warships such as the DDG-1000 destroyer. Using the Divine Eagle as a picket, the Chinese air force could quickly intercept stealthy enemy aircraft, missiles and ships well before they come in range of the Mainland. Flying high, the Divine Eagle could also detect anti-ship missile trucks and air defenses on land, in preparation for offensive Chinese action.


JY-26 Radar

The JY-26 "Skywatch" AESA Radar, operates in the long wave band to detect stealth aircraft, which are often optimized against detection by shorter wavelenghts. The JY-26 is claimed to have a range of 500km and Chinese media claimed it detected F-22 Raptor fighters off the South Korean coast in mid 2014. The Divine Eagle is likely to have similar radar technology to detect stealth bomber and fighters at long range.

Sina Defense

The Divine Eagle is part of a larger Chinese trend in building high technology, unique systems that respond to US plans for Air Sea Battle and "Offsets. They extend the reach of the PLA and meet the needs of the PLA to both break through the anti-access response plans of opponents, while also defending against hostile power projection. As a recent article by one of our team notes, as these capabilities become real, they could undercut key assumptions behind the entire US strategy of deference in the Pacific

Thanks to Blitzo for correcting X-band to UHF radars

You may also be interested in:

Martian did some educated guess as to the sensitivity of L band radar on Divine eagle He come up with 10000 Not sure if it right take it with gob of salt Here it is

Divine Eagle UAV is a 10,000 T/R module L-band Interferometer

Whether you use the bus or the UAV itself as a benchmark, the height of the Divine Eagle UAV is about 1.5 meter in height.

"By using the single deck bus in the background (probably 3.2 meters tall, like most buses of its type) as a very crude visual yardstick, a very rough comparison suggests that the Divine Eagle is about 6 meters tall...."
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The radome is usually equidistant in the vertical and horizontal directions. This means the horizontal width of the Divine Eagle UAV radome is about 1.5 meters. The Divine Eagle interferometer has a diameter of 5 radomes or 7.5 meters.

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The diameter of the Divine Eagle L-band interferometer is 7.5 meters. L-band is 0.15m. However, the transmit/receive (T/R) module of an AESA radar is built with a half-wave dipole antenna design. In the case of L-band, the half-wave of 0.15m is 0.075m.

7.5 meters / 0.075 meter per T/R module = 100 T/R modules horizontally
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An AESA radar is mostly circular in shape. The horizontal and vertical lengths are approximately equal.


The calculation of a square 100 T/R module (horizontally) x 100 T/R module (vertically) AESA radar is a close approximation of an actual circular AESA radar.

100 T/R modules horizontally x 100 T/R modules vertically = 10,000 T/R modules in total
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Divine Eagle L-band interferometer is eight times more sensitive than F-35 X-band AESA radar.



10,000 Divine Eagle L-band T/R module interferometer / 1,200 F-35 X-band T/R module AESA radar = Eight times greater sensitivity based on module count

Here is another one of his guess Feel free to comment
Why does China's Divine Eagle UAV have a maximum altitude of 79,000 feet?

According to Popular Science, China's Divine Eagle UAV has a maximum altitude of 25km (or 79,000 feet).
In contrast, the US Global Hawk has a maximum altitude of only 18km (or 57,000 feet).




Why is there a huge difference of 22,000 feet between China's Divine Eagle and the US Global Hawk?
The most likely explanation is the two UAVs are designed for different roles.

The US Global Hawk was designed for reconnaissance. It is looking for ground targets.

The Chinese Divine Eagle UAV was designed to detect stealth fighters and bombers.

The total path length from a KJ-2000 AWACS transmitter-(to target)-(to receiver) is about 900km. By using a passive Divine Eagle UAV L-band receiver, it permits a much earlier detection of a stealth aircraft by about 200 to 300km (or 120 to 180 miles). By flying at nearly 80,000 feet, the Divine Eagle passive receiver can avoid being illuminated by the KJ-2000 AWACS L-band radar.

Alternatively, a high-flying Divine Eagle UAV can use its UHF/VHF dual-fuselage interferometer to detect a stealth aircraft. If the Divine Eagle was flying at the same altitude as an F-22, the other fuselage would block the transmission/reception of the UHF/VHF array. By flying at nearly 80,000 feet, the Divine Eagle dual-fuselage interferometer would have an unobstructed view of a stealth aircraft.



The Chinese KJ-2000 AWACS has a service ceiling of 42,651 feet.[1]
The American F-22 has a service ceiling of 60,000 feet.[2]

References.

1.
2.

Martian 2 make and Interesting comparison between CH-5 Rainbow series and MQ-9 Reaper
I guess the single most important difference is engine power via cirr
CH-5‘s power plant：WJ-9



China needs better and more powerful turbo propeller engines。:argh:

China's new CH-5 heavyweight military drone specifications

It's interesting to compare the different design choices between Chinese and American drones. In the CH-5, the Chinese team chose a less powerful turboprop engine. However, a less heavy and powerful engine enables the Chinese CH-5 to stay in the air for an extra ten hours than the American Reaper.

The Chinese CH-5 military drone first flew in August 2015. The wall-penetrating radar is a nice feature.



"The CH-5 combat/reconnaissance drone, developed by China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, made its first flight in August, becoming the heaviest and strongest military drone in China."
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Deino said:

Is there a certain reason why you have two accounts: one as this and one as camelbird ??

You know that this is forbidden and will immediately lead to a permanent ban?

Deino

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Deino,
That person isn't me. I've only ever made one account. One possibility might be that you see the same IP address because I use a VPN on my router, and other people can have that same IP address if they use the same VPN provider.

I see so it's sort of a high altitude, mobile, airborne anti stealth radar. Good for detection but not for guidance if I understand the general idea behind L band radars. I thought the long term solution to countering stealthy aircraft was in photonics based radars. If they're investing this much into this UAV, maybe progress in other stealth countering hardware is slow. Seems like an expensive project to invest in if it's of temporary usefulness.

Deino said:

Is there a certain reason why you have two accounts: one as this and one as camelbird ??

You know that this is forbidden and will immediately lead to a permanent ban?

Deino

Click to expand...

What? I only have one account. No idea who camelbird is.