Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
China has an active program to purchase or develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for its armed forces. Several Western suppliers are actively interested in pursuing the market for UAVs in China. Indigenous Chinese UAVs also will be developed and could be improved with foreign assistance. China’s research and development centers, especially Xian’s Northwest Polytechnic University (NPU), and the Beijing and Nanjing Universities of Aeronautics and Astronautics, have active UAV developmental programs, intended to support the PLA’s tactical C4I structure.
Although China’s military probably prefers to purchase a proven system, China’s leadership may have determined that indigenous production of UAVs is in China’s best interest. While China’s military has a great interest in using UAVs in tactical C4I, it has only limited capability and experience with UAVs to date. Consequently, the practical application of UAV sensor information to battlefield operations is only in the developmental stage. The application of UAVs in tactical C4I operations is likely to increase as new UAVs become operational within the Chinese military.
China’s airborne ISR program has placed significant emphasis on UAVs. China’s armed forces have operated the Chang Hong (CH-1) long-range, air- launched autonomous reconnaissance drone since the 1980s. China developed the CH-1 by reverse-engineering US Firebee reconnaissance drones recovered during the Vietnam War. An upgraded version of the system was displayed at the 2000 Zhuhai air show and is being offered for export. A PRC aviation periodical reported that the CH-1 can carry a TV, daylight still, or infrared camera. It most likely is not equipped with a data link, which would allow remote-controlled operation, nor is it capable of providing real-time payload feedback to the remote operator.
China’s armed forces also operate other UAVs, primarily for battlefield reconnaissance or electronic warfare. Beijing has ongoing efforts in UAV research. Interest in UAVs, mainly reconnaissance versions for use with the ground forces, underscores the PLA’s requirements to increase reconnaissance and air defense capabilities.
Among the representative models produced in the past few years are some dual- use versions, such as the W-50 UAV, which can be employed for missions such as reconnaissance, radio-relay, and electronic jamming.
Another UAV starting to enter the inventory is the ASN-206. Its primary military applications reportedly are day and night reconnaissance, battlefield surveillance, target location, artillery fire correction, and battle damage assessment.
Aircraft
1. The CK-1 Target Drone Series
a. The Changkong 1 Medium-High Altitude Drone
The Changkong 1 drone is a medium-to‑high altitude, subsonic drone which is controlled via remote control. It characteristically has a normal aerodynamic configuration with a thin, circular cross section fuselage. The drone’s wings, tail, and fins have a rectangular shape. The engine is underneath the central fuselage of the drone. Takeoff is assisted by a dolly in which its initial climb is under computer control and then eventually remote control. As soon as it enters level flight, it can transfer to other flight modes. Landing is guided via remote control .
Drone research precipitated from research conducted on China ’s air-to-air and air-to-ground missile program, beginning with a Soviet L-17 drone in 1965. A WP6 engine was employed by the drone. A domestically produced remote control radio receiver was placed on the drone, which increased the command of the drone. In 1967, two prototype drones were produced and successfully tested.
In 1968, the Nanjing Aeronautical Institute began plans to improve the drone, which was redesignated as the Changkong 1 medium-high altitude drone. The Nanjing Aeronautical Institute conducted 8 flights of the drone from 1969 to 1976, but technical flaws resulted in 5 of the those flights resulting in failure. Such flaws were corrected and in 1977, the Changkong 1 was approved and given to the Chinese air force 3 years later.
b. The Nuclear Test Sampling Aircraft
COS TND needed a drone capable of flying into clouds created by nuclear explosions for testing. As a result, the Nanjing Aeronautical Institute began modifying the Changkong 1 into an aircraft with such capabilities in 1977. The modified drone made its first successful flight in August the same year in an air–to-air missile range. A month later, the drone successively took samples from a cloud created by a nuclear test
To meet COSTND's requirement of flying into and taking samples from the nuclear explosion generated cloud by a pilotless aircraft, the Nanjing Aeronautical Institute began to retrofit the Changkong 1 drone into a sampling aircraft in 1977. In August of the same year the design and tests of the modification for adding a sampler hung on to the drone were completed. First flight of the pilotless aircraft was successfully made on August 25 at the air-to-air missile test range. On September 27 the sampling aircraft was successfully used to fly into and take samples from the cloud for the first time in a nuclear test.
c. The Changkong-1 Low Altitude Drone
A low altitude version of the Changkong-1 was developed in order to assist in the testing of air-to-air missiles. Developed in 1980 once again by the Nanjing Aeronautical Institute, the drone featured an engine capable of low thrust and a low altitude situations. Other improvements included the addition of two 160 liter auxiliary fuel tanks, and improved flight control system, and a improved piloting system. Two Changkong-1 low-altitude drones were successfully flown in May and June 1982 and certified in 1983.
d. The Changkong-1 Maneuverable Drone
Nanjing Aeronautical Institute developed another variant of the Changkong-1 drone capable of sharp maneuvers medium altitudes and high speeds for the testing of short range air-to-air missiles. To achieve these objectives, the Changkong-1 was equipped with an infrared intensifier, a stronger airframe, a five-mode engine, and improved flight control and fuel system, and a new airborne power supply. Major improvements were adding an infrared intensifier, strengthening the airframe structure, adopting five engine operational modes including maximum, rated, cruise, idle and shutdown, improving the airborne flight control system and fuel supply system and redesigning the airborne power supply system. Among them the most difficult were the improvements of flight control system and fuel supply system.
The Changkong-1 Maneuverable Drone was delivered for use in September 1984 to the Chinese air force and was successfully used for the testing of their short-range air-to-air missiles. It is claimed to be comparable in technology and performance to other test drones, such as Australia ’s Jindivik and the American Firebee drone.
e. The Changkong-1 Ultra Low Altitude Drone
An improvement of the Changkon-1 Maneuverable Drone, the ultra-low altitude variant, was developed by Nanjing Aeronautical Institute. Like the former, the drone was designed for missile testing, in this case for low-altitude air-to-ground missiles. To make the drone capable of such mission requirements, the drone’s wingspan was shortened, the structure stiffer, and the flight control system was upgraded. The drone’s design was approved in March 1989.
2. The WZ-5 Pilotless Aircraft
Developed by the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the WZ-5 is a high-altitude reconnaissance drone. It specializes in the photographic reconnaissance of large areas such as battlefields. Research for the aircraft began in August 1970 after being assigned by OIND to the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
For its powerplant, the WZ-5 pilotless aircraft was equipped with a WP11 engine that produced a maximum thrust of 8.3 kn. The WZ-5 was guided by an onboard control system with autopilot, a Doppler radar, and a long- range gyroscopic compass.
In order to be deployed, the WZ-5 had to be carried and released by another aircraft, such as a Tu-4. The aircraft was remote controlled by a ground control station The pilotless aircraft had to be carried and then released by a carrier aircraft, monitored and remotely controlled by a ground control station. After performing its mission the WZ-5 is equipped with a parachute for recovery. The automatic control system of the WZ-5 was jointly developed by the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Lanzhou Flight Control Instrument Factory.
In November 1972, the WZ‑5 pilotless aircraft made its first successful deployment from a Tu-4 and was certified after a test flight in May 1978. In the test, the WZ-5 had a flight time of 3 hours, 14 minutes and had a range of 2,380 km. The WZ-5 was certified for delivery to the Chinese military in December 1980.
For the purpose of surveying small areas, the Northwest Polytechnic University developed a smaller remote controlled aircraft designated as the D4.
