China Shows Supersonic UAV, Bombers, and SAMs | Aviation International News

China Shows Supersonic UAV, Bombers, and SAMs

Among the debutants at the October 1 parade in Beijing were the much-anticipated supersonic UAV and the latest missile-carrying version of the H-6.

Two examples of the WZ-8 supersonic UAV were shown. Note the pylon hooks and rocket motor exhausts. (Photo: Chen Chuanren)

By Chen Chuanren • Asia Correspondent

October 2, 2019

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unveiled a host of new air, land, and sea weaponry at the military parade on October 1, which celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. As the nation showed off its jet-powered unmanned systems, of particular interest was the WZ-8 supersonic unmanned aerial vehicle.

Revealed publicly for the first time, the delta-winged craft measures approximately 20 feet in span, and its most distinctive features are two bell-shaped exhausts of the kind related to a rocket propulsion system. The sleek design is absent of air intakes, but two pylon hooks suggest the possibility of an air-launched vehicle, likely carried by a Xian H-6K/N bomber. The UAV is intended for high-speed reconnaissance in high-threat and contested environments, before returning to base and landing on a retractable undercarriage.

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