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| CH-5 Rainbow-5 Drone during testing (File Photo) |
by Reuben F. Johnson
Airshow China in Zhuhai from November 1-6 featured a number of new defense-related developments. Displayed during the 11th biennial event was a full range of Chinese military aircraft, radars, surface-to-air missiles, cruise missiles and other weaponry.
China’s military industry continues to turn out numerous new air-launched and surface-launched weapons programs. Several companies displayed newer and more types of glide-bomb precision-guided munitions, air-to-surface weapons, anti-ship weapons, and new surface-to-air missiles. In almost every category of weaponry it is safe to say that the People’s Republic of China has more programs in development than the rest of the world combined.
Accompanying the spike in new weaponry is a full range of new UAV designs. This runs the gamut from very small drones of the type that can be purchased off-the-shelf in other nations to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation CH-5 Rainbow-5 resembling the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, to a new jet-powered UAV from Chengdu Aerospace called the Cloud Shadow that has been developed specifically for export. Along with these UAVs comes another complete line of new, small UAV-carried weapons, sensor balls and electronic systems.
Read the full story at AINonline