Chinese UAV/UCAV development

ougoah said:

This is a real piece of lol.

A random person claims PLA has very little UAVs in service. Then backs up the statement by saying if the PLA had a lot of UAVs then they wouldn't keep the number a secret ...

PLA has more types of UAVs in active service than India has units of UAVs in service just for a comparison of numbers. It would not be a surprise to anyone if PLA currently has more UAVs in service than any other force in the world (including the US). Let's see, the manufacturing and industrial output is greater, the costs are lower, every single component down to the chips are made in China and can be sourced locally (through multiple vendors and not just limited to one or a slight few). Labour costs are lower, energy costs are lower, raw materials China has the most in the world and the largest stockpile of ore and steel among other raw materials required for UAV manufacturing.

Nevermind that China is responsible for the vast majority of global commercial drones. Their development, design, manufacturing. In most cases, also their IP and patents.

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They have ability and potential to mass-produce UAV doesn't prove they have a lot of UAV in service. Chinese military industry was keep exporting glide PGM, have you ever seen any glide PGM on PLAAF aircraft?

Clark Gap said:

They have ability and potential to mass-produce UAV doesn't prove they have a lot of UAV in service. Chinese military industry was keep exporting glide PGM, have you ever seen any glide PGM on PLAAF aircraft?

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I believe that PLA is still at the stage of developing more advance UCAV while gaining experience on operating existing "small number" of GJ-1, GJ-2 and other UAVs. What we are seeing is similar to early 2000's PLAN's destroyers constructions (type 052C/052B/051C) while developing type 052D for mass production a decade later.

GJ-1 and GJ-2 are vulnerable to air defense fire, we should be seeing in future more advance stealth UCAV like GJ-11/WZ-8, once PLA is satisfied with their survivability rates in battles with major military powers.

Clark Gap said:

They have ability and potential to mass-produce UAV doesn't prove they have a lot of UAV in service. Chinese military industry was keep exporting glide PGM, have you ever seen any glide PGM on PLAAF aircraft?

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I didn' say that proves it. I said that it shows they can build as many as they like. Whether they see fit and whether it's correct path is another question. Anyway it's not up for me to prove that they have a lot of UAVs. It's up to the person claiming that they don't to prove that.

I have pretty much proven that China can build more UAVs than anyone else IF they so choose. It's obvious. It's self evident. China's exported more MALE UCAV/UAVs than any other country outside of USA. If there was a piechart showing UAV production it would mostly be two colours (USA and China) with slivers of other colours barely visible. Yes even Iran which is a major producer of UAVs but comparing the industries, the respective scales, the funding, the people, the raw materials, and the needs, Iran is but a slither in that pie chart. Turkey would be a joke.

I have never seen glide PGMs on PLAAF aircraft. And? We all know PLA has PGMs. We know China exports PGMs. We know Chinese state media do not allow photos and videos of PGMs outside of the few YJ and KD series PGMs that are allowed to be photographed/video recorded once every blue moon.

UAVs are useful. Extremely useful. China has a lot of UAV platforms that are known. China has huge pool of available resources and industrial manufacturing ability for UAVs down to the chips onboard. Ergo, it makes sense for China to have a lot of UAVs in service.

Is it not more appropriate to ask why a person would think that it has few UAVs in service despite all the CH and WL series of UAVs which are just the common MALE ones. I mean there are more of these types in service in foreign militaries than India as a nation has any UAV outside of commercial grade stuff they buy from China... And India is a pretty big military nation.

Clark Gap said:

They have ability and potential to mass-produce UAV doesn't prove they have a lot of UAV in service. Chinese military industry was keep exporting glide PGM, have you ever seen any glide PGM on PLAAF aircraft?

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The PLAAF only rarely discloses information on ammunition. In fact, the students even learn to use the glide PGM on the L-15 trainer.

test1979 said:

The PLAAF only rarely discloses information on ammunition. In fact, the students even learn to use the glide PGM on the L-15 trainer.
View attachment 99115View attachment 99116View attachment 99117

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That is not a case of training, so much as an AVIC JL-10 airframe (or rather L-15 airframe) being used for flight and separation testing of the TL-20 when the TL-20 was in development.

The L-15 just happened to be the test launch aircraft in this case.

But it certainly was not an operational PLA JL-10 being used for training students, and it says a lot that we've not seen any picture or indication of TL-20 (or any other similar PGM type) employed by an in service PLA aircraft. Either the PLA are doing a very deliberate job of hiding it, or such weapons are just not in service.

Blitzo said:

That is not a case of training, so much as an AVIC JL-10 airframe (or rather L-15 airframe) being used for flight and separation testing of the TL-20 when the TL-20 was in development.

The L-15 just happened to be the test launch aircraft in this case.

But it certainly was not an operational PLA JL-10 being used for training students, and it says a lot that we've not seen any picture or indication of TL-20 (or any other similar PGM type) employed by an in service PLA aircraft. Either the PLA are doing a very deliberate job of hiding it, or such weapons are just not in service.

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Sir a stupid question, can L15 be modify to use as an attack aircraft like SU25? I asking cause from my layman view it's an excellent aircraft for air support.

ansy1968 said:

Sir a stupid question, can L15 be modify to use as an attack aircraft like SU25? I asking cause from my layman view it's an excellent aircraft for air support.

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you don't really need CAS aircraft anymore.

Blitzo said:

That is not a case of training, so much as an AVIC JL-10 airframe (or rather L-15 airframe) being used for flight and separation testing of the TL-20 when the TL-20 was in development.

The L-15 just happened to be the test launch aircraft in this case.

But it certainly was not an operational PLA JL-10 being used for training students, and it says a lot that we've not seen any picture or indication of TL-20 (or any other similar PGM type) employed by an in service PLA aircraft. Either the PLA are doing a very deliberate job of hiding it, or such weapons are just not in service.

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Clearly China has the capability to manufacture pretty much any type of PGM in vast quantity if it so wished. What would be the rationale for PLAAF not having these in service? I just don't understand why they wouldn't.

More on topic China has vast needs for UAVs, due to its large territory and wide border with unfriendly nations, there are much greater case for China to operate a large fleet of UAVs compared to the US. I would not be surprised if China expands its large MALE fleet to the mid triple digits as the technology matures. With lower level ISR UAVs in the thousands.

Weapon systems only matter if you have them in quantity, no matter the tech level.

Maikeru said:

Clearly China has the capability to manufacture pretty much any type of PGM in vast quantity if it so wished. What would be the rationale for PLAAF not having these in service? I just don't understand why they wouldn't.

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You have to keep in mind that Beidou is a relatively recent thing, and even then higher ups in the PLA were skeptical of satellite guided munitions due to potential for satellite jamming/interference. This has changed, however.