Chinese 10-Ton Monster Drone Mothership Can Release Swarms in the Air

Ahead of the Zhuhai Airshow in China, an international aerospace exhibition organized by the Beijing government, a concept drone ship was spotted at the event grounds.

The drone mothership, which has a maximum take-off weight of 10 tons, may have the ability to launch swarms of drones into the air.

The drone, called Jiu Tian, ​​which means “High Sky” in Chinese, is powered by jet engines. It is developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

Basic drone concept specifications

Markings on the drone’s mothership read “SS-UAV” along with other markings written in Chinese script. While it is clear that UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, it is unclear what SS stands for.

Looking at the plane reveals that it uses a conventional three-wheel landing and take-off landing gear, and a jet engine is installed on the central part of the fuselage.

While it may initially look like a regular attack aircraft, its central payload section is designated the “Isomerism Hive Module”. This shows that the mothership can have ability launch drones into the air and then control swarms to carry out operations.

Ability launch a few drones in the air and then using the mothership as a command center is a dream project for China and several other countries.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has proven how effective drones can be in tilting the balance to one side.

It should be noted that the ability to launch and levitate drones can expand the range of operations of any army. This could give drones much needed additional range for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare.

The lethality of kamikaze drones can also increase significantly if they are deployed from a ship already in the air.

Thus, although additional characteristics of the Chinese carrier drone have not yet emerged, it is likely that it will greatly enhance the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army.

Airshow in Zhuhai – China

AVIC’s drone mothership concept isn’t the only amazing flying craft to debut at the Zhuhai Airshow.

Chinese Navy J-15T combat aircraft also landed yesterday in Zhuhai, marking the first time that a PLA Navy aircraft will be on display.

The J-15T is a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft designed for catapult launch aboard China’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Fujian.

There is also a lot of noise around China. opening its newest stealth fighter, the J-35A, during the airshow.

The PLA Air Force has confirmed that the J-35A will debut in Zhuhai. This is a land-based version of the J-35 naval fighter.

PLA Air Force spokesman Niu Wenbo told state broadcaster CCTV that the HQ-19 anti-aircraft missile will also debut at the air show, along with a “new type of reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle.”

Experts believe that the drone’s mother ship AVIC concept is a new type of UAV that Wenbo mentioned.

The air show will begin on November 12 and will last until November 17. Russia is also set to show off its Su-57 multi-role stealth fighter at the event.