China is preparing yet another military surprise after launching its first 6th-generation fighter jet. Beijing is now planning to launch the world’s first ever “drone carrier” aircraft, capable of releasing swarms of AI-guided kamikaze drones during high-altitude missions.
The Jiu Tian, or ‘High Sky’ UAV, is scheduled to complete its first test mission by the end of June, according to Chinese media outlets.
The drone “mothership” is expected to have a maximum takeoff weight of 16 tonnes and a wingspan of 25 meters.
It can reportedly cruise at altitudes up to 15,000 meters (50,000 feet)—higher than most common medium-range air defence systems—and has a range of approximately 7,000 kilometres (4,350 miles).
The jet-powered Jiu Tian is likely to carry 6 tonnes of ammunition with the ability to release up to 100 units of loitering munitions or small drones, including kamikaze UAVs, from two launch bays located on either side of the fuselage.
Beijing is planning to deploy the drone “mothership” UAV on classified missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assignments, is well as electronic warfare.
Besides being used for military operations, the drone carrier could be employed for emergency logistics, border patrol, search and rescue missions, and natural disaster response.
The plane, which was first unveiled at China’s Zhuhai air show in November, has been designed by the state-owned aerospace giant Aviation Industry Corporation of China and built by Xian Chida Aircraft Parts Manufacturing.
As touted by the many defence publications, the Chinese drone “mothership” has capabilities equal to those of the US’s MQ-9 Reaper and the RQ-4 Global Hawk, while adding swarm-launch functionality, which has yet to be introduced in the US arsenal.
Chinese military modernisation started in the late 1970s and early 1980s under Deng Xiaoping, with a focus on modernising equipment, doctrines, and organisational structure.
This modernisation has been ongoing, driven by lessons learnt from conflicts like the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War and the Gulf War.
