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WZ-8 / BZK-008 CH-91 Hypersonic Drone Testbed

The WZ-8 [Wuzheng-8 = Non-Detect-8 ] may be an entirely real program, or some or all of this "program" may be "an obvious Commie trick". What has been seen to date constitutes little more than some artwork and aeroshells that could be easily fabricated fiberglass models, intended to mislead the Americans. At least some of what China has publicly displayed is surely deceptive, and this is a pretty good candidate for such deception. Careful observers will note that some of these open source estimates are impossibly precise, while others are wildly inconsistent with each other. The Mach 3 vehicle reported by [leaked] US intelligence amounts to little more than aa really big fat target, while the much much higher and faster of open source estimates feel like fanboy technofantasy.

A grand military parade was held in Beijing on 01 October 2019 to mark the People's Republic of China's 70th founding anniversary. China said the parade, the country’s most important political event of the year, which featured more than 15,000 troops marching through part of Tiananmen Square as jet fighters trailing colored smoke soared overhead, was not meant to intimidate any specific country. But it was a message to the world that China’s military prowess is growing rapidly, even as it faces mounting challenges. Military Parade Deputy General Manager Tan Min, at a press conference the week before the parade, 'All the weapons exhibited in the parade active service.' had used. This statement shows that the aircraft is actively used by the Chinese armed forces.

This high-speed Chinese drone, which reportedly first flew in September 2015 is launched from an H-6 carrier aircraft, the drone fired up its combined cycle turbo-ramjet engine to accelerate from subsonic to high-supersonic speeds. It could be equipped with a scramjet to test combined cycle hypersonic engines. According to the data released by Chinese official media, Wuzhen-8 is 11.5 meters long, 2.2 meters high, and 6.7 meters wide. [2] Under the supersonic flight state, the speed can reach Mach 6 , and the maximum flight altitude can reach 50,000 meters.

In mid-2018 a satellite image appeared online. The figure showed that four different types of unmanned aircraft lined up. The right-to-left suspects are respectively light yellow painted Pterosaur-2 large-scale unmanned attack aircraft, gray. The painted "Xianglong" high-altitude long-time strategic reconnaissance aircraft, a black painted mysterious multi-wave supersonic unmanned aerial vehicle that has never appeared before. On the far left, it is suspected to be a white Rainbow-3 drone with a "winged cap" (small duck wing = canard). The number is at least dozens. It may be used for unmanned cluster tactical testing. In March 2017, there were tests the "Pegasus" drone formation combat capability. This machine is a domestic model of China Rainbow-3 authorized for Pakistani production.

The most mysterious of these was the black triangle unmanned aerial vehicle, which had a very flat shape and seemed to some observers to utilizes the wave-rider design to facilitate high-sonic flight at the edge of the atmosphere. It is reported that the photo was taken on 07 June 2018 at a military airport in the northwest. After a few days, other aircraft are still there, and the black aircraft disappeared, which was mysterious. Some people said that this mysterious aircraft was a "Dark Sword", but the shape is obviously different, and the aircraft had been exposed repeatedly over the years. CCTV reported the JF12 hypersonic shock wave wind tunnel was being used for tests in October 2017 with a triangle-shaped wave-body hypersonic unmanned aerial vehicle that was similar.

The appearance of the WZ-8 is quite similar to that of the American UAV D-21 that the US stopped using many years ago. The D-21 was used by the United States in Chinese reconnaissance missions and many crashed with rubble that was scattered throughout China. A relatively intact D-21 was exhibited at the Beijing Military Museum a few years ago. From November 1969 to March 1971, a total of four actual missions were flown, all against the Chinese Lop Nur test site, but all four failed. Among them, the first three successful photographs were taken, but all of them failed to recover, while the fourth time the vehicle disappeared after entering China’s airspace. The wreckage exhibited by the China Aviation Museum was the last D-21 that went missing in 1971.

The D-21 program, although never operationally successful, left a critical legacy for other intelligence and national security programs. The D-21 drone incorporated a number of technologies that would mature in future defense and intelligence technology programs including: unmanned aerial vehicles, stealth design features, and ramjet engine technology. The D-21 drone vehicle is the reconnaissance vehicle developed and used in the TAGBOARD program. The unused vehicles were decommissioned and sent to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center in 1976, where they are visible to the public. At that time, the National Reconnaissance Office authoriz~d a very few statements which could be released in response to direct public query about the drone vehicle. These specifically declined to comment about denied area overflight missions.

From the appearance of Wuzhen-8, its aerodynamic shape is similar to that of D-21. Both adopt a tailless delta wing layout, which is obviously very suitable for supersonic flight. However, the ramjet used by the D-21, while the Wuzhen-8 seems to use a rocket engine. There are two side-by-side small nozzles at the rear of the aircraft, and the aircraft has no engine air intake, which means that the Wuzhen-8 is most likely to use a liquid rocket engine. If it is confirmed that the aircraft uses a rocket engine, Then it can be inferred that the flight altitude of the aircraft is very likely to exceed the atmosphere, because the combustion time of the rocket engine is relatively short, usually between 150 and 350 seconds, which is obviously not enough for the aircraft to fly. However, the rocket engine does not need to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere due to its own oxidizer, so it can adapt to space flight. However, if the No. 8 is flying outside the atmosphere and the rocket engine can be operated for more than 200 seconds, it is enough to ensure a maximum range of more than 5,000 kilometers.

Due to the heavy weight of the Wuzheng-8, it is obviously impossible to hang it on the wing of the Y-8 aircraft as it did in the past—because the Y-8’s wing strength is ultimately limited, and it is impossible to effectively mount such a large UAV. And our country is now the only suitable for mounting non-detection-8 aircraft, probably only the H-6 series of bombers. Because the Wuzhen-8 aircraft did not design the fuselage vertical tail, but added a small upturned vertical tail on the outer edge of the wing to control the lateral stability of the aircraft. In this way, it can be mounted on the ventral magazine of the H-6 bomber, but the outer door of the magazine must be removed when the H-6 is mounted on the non-detection-8.

From the aerodynamic point of view, the shape of Wuzheng-8 is very similar to the enlarged DF-17 ballistic missile. Its aerodynamic shape is obviously designed with a waverider structure, so it can carry out a fast flight similar to "water drift" at the edge of the atmosphere. At the same time, because Wuzhen-8 is mounted by the H-6 bomber and launched by airdrop, considering that China's H-6K and H-6M bombers have a combat radius of 2500 to 3000 kilometers, plus Wuzhen-8 With its own maximum range of 5,000 kilometers (expected), if the aircraft cooperates with the H-6 deployment, it is sufficient for effective reconnaissance of any target within 5,000 kilometers of our country, and if it is a H-6N bomber with increased air refueling capability If so, the combat radius of Wuzhen-8 can be further extended.

From a tactical point of view, even today when spy satellites are flying all over the sky, high-altitude high-speed drones still have important strategic value. First of all, due to the advancement of technology, most of today's UAVs adopt the "human-in-the-loop" control method, that is, the flight of the UAV is remotely controlled by a dedicated operator. When performing reconnaissance missions in this way, ground operators can perform repeated reconnaissance of the target based on their own understanding, thereby discovering some hidden intelligence. However, the early firebee and D-21 drones were pre-programmed and could only follow The program machinery conducts reconnaissance and does not have the ability to adjust halfway. Therefore, Wudi-8 has a huge tactical advantage.

Second, the high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft is fast and efficient in reconnaissance. Take the Non-Reconnaissance-8 as an example. The aircraft uses a rocket engine and can fly at high speeds outside the atmosphere. Due to the high flight altitude, anti-satellite weapons are needed to effectively combat the non-reconnaissance flight of the Non-Reconnaissance-8. This obviously greatly improves the interception cost and difficulty of Detective-8. At the same time, flying in a near-vacuum environment outside the atmosphere can greatly reduce drag and ensure the aircraft's range and reconnaissance range.

Third, the Wudi-8, which has the shape of a wave-riding body and the ability to fly in space, is no longer just a simple high-altitude high-speed unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. It can also dismantle the reconnaissance equipment and change it into various warheads, such as conventional high explosives. Warheads, EMP warheads, mother-and-child warheads and even nuclear warheads. Therefore, Wudi-8 is not just a simple UAV, it can perform a variety of combat missions by changing its payload, and even directly use it as a missile.

A leak in April 2023 of hundreds of classified U.S. military documents sent the defense and intelligence establishment scrambling to assess the damage. Images of the documents first spread on Discord, an online platform popular with gamers. Authorities arrested a 21-year-old airman 1st class named Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. One document contained an assessment that China could deploy a high-altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound. The document, which came from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, featured satellite imagery dated Aug. 9 that shows two WZ-8 rocket-propelled reconnaissance drones at an air base in eastern China, about 350 miles inland from Shanghai.

The published document showed two WZ-8s at the base, which it called “Liuan,” and stated the imagery was taken during a reconnaissance satellite pass on Aug. 9, 2022. One of the drones was outside the same hangar as that seen on the satellite photo provided to Defense News, while the other was being towed along the runway. Also included in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s assessment are possible flight paths for the drone as well as for the twin-engine H6-M Badger bomber used to launch it. After taking off from its home air base, the warplane would fly to just off China’s east coast before releasing the stealthy drone, which could then enter Taiwanese or South Korean airspace at a height of 100,000 feet and fly three times the speed of sound. The document does not detail how the drone is propelled but says “engine features are primarily associated with rocket fuel.” A map of projected routes, labeled “not necessarily authoritative,” suggests ways the drone’s “Electro-optical” cameras and sensors could gather intelligence on Taiwan’s main island and the western side of South Korea including Seoul, the capital city. The use of synthetic aperture radar would allow it to map territory at night and foggy weather. A private Earth imaging company acquired an imaged that some US defense media speculates is an image of a Chinese WZ-8 rocket-powered spy drone parked outside a hanger at Lu’an Airbase, about 500 km west of Shanghai. The delta-shaped unmanned aerial vehicle, typically launched from People’s Liberation Army Air Force H-6K and H-6M strategic bombers, had been the subject of consternation for Pentagon planners, with a recently leaked internal assessment by the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency concluding that the drones were “almost certainly” already in service with the PLAAF.

The commercial satellite image obtained by Defense News showed what appears to be a WZ-8 supersonic reconnaissance drone parked outside one of two newly built hangars at China’s Lu’an Airbase. The satellite image, provided to Defense News by Planet Labs, shows Lu’an Airbase in China’s Anhui province. The previously unoccupied base is undergoing an upgrade, with construction beginning sometime between April 2018 and early 2019. Improvements include the resurfacing of the 3,200-meter (3,500-yard) runway, the widening of taxiways, and the construction of 20 bomber-sized aircraft shelters and two hangars to replace open aircraft parking bays. Decker Eveleth, a student at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, reviewed the satellite image given to Defense News. The WZ-8 was also seen on a satellite photo taken in December 2022, while another from early April 2023 showed continued progress in widening the aircraft taxiways leading to the base’s underground aircraft facilities south of the runway. the new taxiways are approximately 25 meters (80 feet) wide, compared to 14 meters (46 feet) previously. https://www.google.com/maps/place/@31.6275045,116.2692946,1428m https://mapcarta.com/35333344 https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/522355737349822165.html Lu'an / Liuan Airbase 31°37'39"N 116°16'28"E

A leak in April 2023 of hundreds of classified U.S. military documents included one document that contained an assessment that China could deploy a high-altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound. The document, which came from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, featured satellite imagery dated Aug. 9 that shows two WZ-8 rocket-propelled reconnaissance drones at an air base in eastern China, about 350 miles inland from Shanghai. The airfield described in the document as “Liuan” appears to be a base in Dushan County of Lu’an city, according to coordinates in the document. (The first Chinese character in Lu’an is often pronounced ‘liu’ but it is ‘lu’ in this instance.)

The airbase at Lu'An, Anhui, China, is believed to be the home to a regiment of the Eastern Theater’s 10th bomber division, the branch most likely to conduct air attacks if China launched a full-scale assault on Taiwan. Since 2019 that the base had been brought back into service. The outburst of construction activity, included widening to nearly 130 feet the taxiways connecting the southern tunnel entrances to the main airfield.

8301 Airport, the full name of Dushan General Airport, is located in Dushan Town, Lu'an City, Anhui Province. With a runway length of 2640 meters, it was a former military combat readiness airport. The airport aircraft bunker is built into the hillside. Two 30cm-thick gates are all steel plates. The gates are 30 meters wide. The parking tunnels for the aircraft is poured with concrete. There are five tunnels in total, and the largest is two kilometers long. The airport was built in 1970 by the 8301 Engineering Group of the Nanjing Military Region (local county annals). Later, the locals called it the 8301 Project or the 8301 Airport. Few planes have ever landed due to its prolonged disuse. In recent years, a small number of military aircraft have landed one after another, and troops are stationed daily.

Liu'an Village, Lingbi County, Suzhou City, Anhui Province is about 6 kilometers from Shenzhai Village opposite Suguo Supermarket to the town. Liu'an Village is located in the east of Xialou Town, governing 11 natural villages, with a total population of 5,243 and more than 9,400 mu of land. In October 2013, a 900m2 village-level activity venue integrating office, sanitation and entertainment was completed. In recent years, a group of members of the village party organization have been able to conscientiously study the important spirit of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and knowledge about agricultural technology, culture, and law. The idea, the village collective economy and the income of the masses have increased year after year, the work style and work performance have been satisfied by the masses, and the party organization has won the support and support of the masses.

The main responsibilities of the Villagers Committee of Liu'an Village are to implement the resolutions and decisions of the villagers' meeting and the villagers' representative meeting. Responsible for and report work to the villagers' meeting and the villagers' representative meeting, convene and preside over the villagers' meeting and the villagers' representative meeting, and implement the resolutions and decisions of the villagers' meeting and the villagers' representative meeting. The Villagers Committee of Liu'an Village formulates and implements the development plan of the village. Formulate village economic and social development plans and annual plans that are compatible with township regional planning, and organize implementation after discussion and approval by villagers' meetings or villagers' representative meetings.

Situated in the transition area between the subtropical zone and the warm temperate zone, the city is characterized by moderate weather with sufficient rainfall and sunlight. Its annual average temperature is around 15? (59?), and the plum rain season usually occurs during June to July. The name Lu'an originated during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) when the Emperor Wu set up the Lu'an State in this area. It was first established as a prefecture during the Yuan Dynasty. It is located at the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains. Lu'an is higher in the southwest with mountainous, hilly and plains regions as its main landforms. In the southwest area, the average altitude is above 400 meters (1,312 feet), while eastern and northern parts are plains areas and the main farming areas.

Lu'an is commonly known as Wanxi for its location in the western part of Anhui Province. It neighbors Hefei, the capital city of the province on the east and is bordered with Hubei and Henan provinces to the south and the west. Lu'an is a production area of the green tea, Lu'an Melon Seed Tea, one of the ten famous tea in China. It was served as the imperial tribute during the Qing Dynasty (1636 - 1912) and diplomatic gifts even now. Of all the tea leaves in the world, Lu'an Melon Seed Tea is the only one without buds and stems, which is made of single leaves. After boiling, the Lu'an Melon Seed Tea has a refreshed and mellow flavor. Lu’an is also a land transportation hub city as many railways including Nanjing-Xi'an, Hefei-Anqing-Jiujiang, Fu'yang-Lu'an, Shanghai-Chengdu and expressways run through.

Tiantangzhai Scenic Area (Heavenly Village) is said to be the last virgin forest in East China. It is a national forest park and a national nature reserve as well. Tiantang Ding is the highest peak in the scenic area and also the highest peak of the Dabie Mountains. Waterfalls are the highlights of Tiantang Zhai. All in all, there are more than one hundred waterfalls. The Plunging Waterfall and Dragon Pool (Feipu Longtan) is the central attraction of the scenic area.

By late 2021 Lu'an Base was active again after years of being inactive (in the 1990s), likely becoming a strategic bomber field with nuclear capabilities (UGFs are at the southern part) Probably hosting ETC's 29th RGT as two H-6 are clearly shown in 2021 imagery. Beginning in late February 2022, new, significantly wider thoroughfares that lead into the hills south of the runway were constructed. In some places, the new clearing is about 130 feet wide. It was originally built in 1970, part of leader Mao Zedong’s campaign to move crucial industries and military installations into mountainous regions, prompted after relations with the Soviet Union soured and left China’s communist leadership feeling vulnerable to attack. The hangars of the original air base, known then as the 8301 airfield, were burrowed into the hillside and had steel-plated doors that were 12 inches thick, according to Chinese state media. Hans Kristensen @nukestrat · Nov 22, 2021 Interesting upgrade. But the tunnels at Luan airbase seem narrow: inner width <30m vs the ~60m under construction at Neixiang airbase. It will be interesting to see if they are going to make them wider upon (allegedly) the H-20 arrival. It is made of big stone slabs. After so many years, it is still there so good. Now the plane above is gone, and the nearby residents are practicing and playing there. There is also a garrison nearby, which is actually an underground military area, which can’t be found on the Google map. You know, dig deep holes to accumulate food, 8301 is a military airport, and it is low-key. It is impossible to make a movie, because it is a secret airport, a military base, and the hinterland of the Dabie Mountains. The state does not want its exposure too high.

2S18 "Pat-S" 152-mm

2S18 "Pat-S" is an experimental 152-mm howitzer developed in 1980 at the Kurgan Machine-Building Plant. Kurganmashzavod" is working on the modernization of the self-propelled howitzer "Pat-S" 152-mm caliber on the modified chassis of the infantry fighting vehicle BMP-3. It is reported by RIA Novosti 20 May 2023. "These vehicles, equipped with a 120-mm gun (Vienna development work) and a 152-mm gun, are capable of significantly increasing the efficiency of motorized rifle units," the publication says.

2S18 "Pat-S" is an experimental 152-mm self-propelled artillery mount developed in the 1980s in the Soviet Union based on the BMP-3 chassis. Earlier it was reported that Kurganmashzavod is ready for serial production and supply of modernized 2S25M Sprut-SD self-propelled guns to the troops. Landed self-propelled anti-tank gun "Sprut-SD" is designed for fire support of airborne units, built on the basis of the BMD-4M and armed with a 125-mm cannon with the ability to use long-range guided missiles. During a test in the Black Sea, the self-propelled gun demonstrated good seaworthiness and the possibility of landing from landing ships.

The Kurgan Machine-Building Plant is modernizing the Pat-S self-propelled artillery mount (SAU) on a modified chassis of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle. It is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the state corporation Rostec, which includes Kurganmashzavod. “The self-propelled guns are being modernized on the basis of the modified BMP-3 chassis. These vehicles, equipped with a 120-mm gun (Vienna development work) and a 152-mm gun, can significantly increase the efficiency of motorized rifle units, ”the agency cites the holding’s data. According to information from open sources, the 2S18 "Pat-S" ACS was developed in the 1980s in the USSR and produced in a single prototype, as the world's first floating large-caliber howitzer. The other day it became known that the concern "Uralvagonzavod" is preparing to put into service with the Russian army.

This was reported at Kurganmashzavod, which is part of the High-Precision Complexes of the Rostec State Corporation, on 20 May 2023. “The self-propelled guns are being modernized on the basis of the modified BMP-3 chassis. These vehicles, equipped with a 120-mm gun (Vienna development work) and a 152-mm gun, can significantly increase the efficiency of motorized rifle units, ”RIA Novosti said.

On 17 May 2023, Kurganmashzavod announced that deliveries of upgraded 2S25M self-propelled anti-tank guns to the Russian Armed Forces could begin in 2024. In addition, preparations have begun for serial production of the 2S25M self-propelled 125-millimeter cannon based on the 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled anti-tank gun with unification in components and assemblies with the chassis of the BMD-4M airborne combat vehicle.

On May 15, the High-Precision Complexes holding, which is part of Rostec, completed the development of the Ptitselov anti-aircraft missile system on the chassis of an airborne combat vehicle (BMD-4M) for the Airborne Forces. The short-range anti-aircraft missile system with the Sosna combat module, created on the basis of the BMP-3, is still being tested, Rostec recalled.

https://tass.ru/ekonomika/17802347

Howitzer 2A61 is one of the newest artillery pieces of the Russian army. The howitzer was developed by the State Unitary Enterprise (State Unitary Enterprise) "Plant No. 9". The first data on 2A61 were published in the 97th year. The gun owes its appearance to the fact that after the transfer of NATO field artillery to a caliber of 155 millimeters, the firepower of Russian artillery motorized rifle brigades (regiments) armed with 122-mm howitzers began to yield in terms of firepower to the corresponding formations of the armies of NATO member countries.

The new howitzer, which is classified as a regimental howitzer, was developed on a three-beam modified carriage of the 122-millimeter D-30 howitzer. This became possible after the installation on the muzzle of the muzzle brake of the latest design, which absorbs most of the recoil energy.

The use of a three-bed carriage provides the possibility of circular firing at vertical pointing angles from -5 to +70 degrees. A mechanism for sending shells is installed on the carriage, which allows you to fire at a rate of up to 8 rounds per minute. On the upper machine to protect the calculation from fragments and bullets of small arms there is a light shield cover.

For firing from a howitzer, separate case-loading shots are used, which are also used in systems of a similar caliber - D-1, D-20 and ML-20. In terms of its ballistics, it corresponds to the ballistics of the 152-mm howitzer ML-20, developed on charge No. 3.

To transfer the 2A61 to the stowed position, the movable beds are reduced to a fixed carriage frame and fixed. The fixed bed itself and the barrel were connected at the muzzle. For towing, a pivot beam was used, which is fixed on the muzzle. The transfer between combat and marching positions and back seven people of a trained crew is completed in two minutes.

Due to the relatively small weight of the howitzer (4.3 thousand kg compared to 5.65 thousand kg for the D-20 howitzer of the same caliber), it can be towed using the same means of traction as for the 122 mm D-30 howitzer . The maximum speed on the highway in this case can be 80 km / h.

Specifications Caliber, mm 152.4 Weight, kg 4350 Highway carriage speed, km/h up to 80 Length, mm 6360 Width, mm 1970 Height, mm 2200 Gate wedge gun carriage three-bed Elevation angle -5..+70 Angle of rotation 360 Rate of fire, shots / min 6-8 Muzzle velocity, m/s 540 Maximum firing range, km 15.2 Mass of HE projectile, kg 43.56 Modifications 2S18 "Pat-S" - In parallel with the towed version, a self-propelled version based on the BMP-3 - 2S18 "Pat-S" with a 2A63 howitzer was developed, but the self-propelled howitzer was not adopted for service. 2S26 "Pat-K" - Wheeled version of a self-propelled howitzer on the Ural-5323 chassis. It was also not accepted into service. M-389 - Based on the 2A61, a variant with a 155-mm barrel for NATO ammunition was developed.