China unveils ‘swarm carrier’ drone with payload comparable to fighter jets

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China has unveiled an advanced unmanned aerial vehicle which can carry missiles, drop bombs and fire a swarm of smaller drones from a high altitude.

Showcased at the Zhuhai Air Show 2024, which concluded on Sunday, the matte dark-grey Jetank “swarm carrier” has a maximum takeoff weight of 16 tonnes, payload capacity of six tonnes, and a wingspan of 25 metres. It has been touted as the next-generation large unmanned aerial utility platform, the Global Times reported.

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the state-owned company behind the mammoth drone, said it can carry a “wide range of weapons and equipment comparable to those carried by modern fighter jets and bombers”.

The highlights include firing a swarm of smaller drones from a high altitude, experts have said.

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The drone has a significant use for the battlefield with its situational awareness and remote control capability via satellite link, said Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, detailing that the drone has its own radar system and an electro-optical pod at its nose.

The “swarm carrier” can carry out missions of airlifting, airdropping and information support, the Global Times report said.

Experts have said the Chinese military hardware on display at Zhuhai illustrates the country’s ambitions and breakthroughs in capability.

At the almost week-long air show, China showcased its latest variant of the J-35A stealth fighter, the larger J-20 stealth fighter, a stealthy drone designated the CH-7, and the HQ-19 air defence system.

There was also an electronic warfare variant of the J-15 naval fighter, in addition to dozens of munitions.

An editorial in the Global Times said China is not "seeking to show off its power" but "rather, it aims to prove that it has both the capability to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity and the commitment to peace-based development”.

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China also demonstrated its pull on the world stage by welcoming a delegation from Saudi Arabia with its first pavilion at the event as well as close ties with Russia by hosting the secretary of the Russian security council, Sergei Shoigu, at the air show on Thursday.

The show’s commercial aviation side was smaller than in previous years, putting military technology in the spotlight. Hardware as varied as air defence systems, radars, missiles, and aircraft packed the grounds indoors and out.

Additional reporting by agencies.