Previously unknown drones are making their debut at the five-day Changchun air show, which opened on Friday in the provincial capital of Jilin in northeast China, just two weeks after the Victory Day military parade showcased several new models.
Among those attracting attention during pre-opening preparations was a twin-engined flying-wing tailless drone developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the country’s leading scientific institution.
The show – which highlights the PLA Air Force as well as China’s civilian and military aviation developers – is in its fourth edition and has doubled in size from previous events.
One of the four combat drones that appeared in the Beijing parade earlier this month features in a demonstration animation at the air show as a “loyal wingman” to the J-20 fighter jet.
In addition, the air force display includes an unmanned variant of the retired J-6 supersonic fighter – the first official confirmation of its conversion to a capability that could be significant in any conflict involving the Taiwan Strait.
The CAS drone – with the academy’s logo and name on its side – is on static outdoor display at the air show. It features one air intake on each side of the upper shoulder of its humped centre body, as well as two separate exhausts at the rear.
