20th January 2021 - 19:25 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Christchurch RSS
A new Chinese UAV/UCAV has taken to the skies for the first time. Meanwhile, other Chinese models are being used extensively in combat in the Middle East and North Africa.
The WJ-700 gas turbine-powered UAV, from the stable of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), performed its maiden flight from an undisclosed location in China on 11 January.
The WJ-700 is a MALE/HALE aircraft marketed by Beijing-based Haiying General Aviation Equipment (Hiwing), a subsidiary of CASIC .
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Did China Copy a Reaper Drone and Arm It With an Anti-Ship Missile?
It looks like Beijing has continued its long policy of stealing, and then making changes to, American military systems.
China has launched and now flown a new large, anti-ship missile firing reconnaissance drone reportedly able to perform air-to-air precision strikes, stand-off ground attack and even anti-radiation attacks.
“The WJ-700 unmanned aircraft is characterized by its large payload and ability to launch large munitions from outside hostile anti-aircraft fire coverage zone,” the Chinese government-backed Global Times reports.
The new Chinese drone, perhaps not by accident, looks a lot like the U.S. Reaper drone which has itself been massively expanding its weapons envelope to incorporate new air-to-air weapons such as the AIM-9X and more precision-guided air-dropped bombs as well. The combat-tested Reaper has received new mission-extending added fuel tanks, a universal weapons interface with common te
Maiden test flight proves successful for new drone By ZHAO LEI | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2021-01-15 08:54 Share WJ-700 combat/reconnaissance drone CHINA DAILY
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a leading defense contractor, conducted the maiden test flight of what it called one of the country s best unmanned strike aircraft earlier this week.
The nation s largest missile-maker CASIC said in a statement that the WJ-700 combat/reconnaissance drone made its debut flight on Monday at an unidentified airport in Northeast China. The maiden flight verified the plane s overall design and its subsystems compatibility.
Next, the drone will carry out more test flights to examine its flight, reconnaissance and combat capabilities, it said, noting the product will be available to both domestic and foreign buyers once it enters the market.