Stealth drone and J-35A jet take pride of place at show

Staff reporter and Reuters

A completed CH-7 drone has been put on display for the first time at the biennial Airshow China 2024 scheduled to take place starting tomorrow until Sunday in Zhuhai, while other new military equipment will also be on display.

A redesigned CH-7 has already been put on display at Airshow China 2022, in order to meet demand for high-end UAVs sought by potential clients in future asymmetric warfare.

The CH-7 has a 26-meter wingspan and a service ceiling of 15 kilometers meaning that it can fly higher and stay longer in the mission zone, while also effectively compressing hostile radar detection range and conduct reconnaissance and target indication missions.

The unmanned aircraft can also be more focused on round-the-clock reconnaissance and monitoring in highly dangerous environments, and be able to keep detecting hostile targets for a longer time.

With a maximum takeoff weight of 10 tonnes, the CH-7 can also carry large missiles or guide other weapons to strike high-value enemy targets.

At the same time, China has also unveiled for the first time its homemade stealth drone carrier "Killer Whale" ahead of the Zhuhai airshow.

The trimaran, built by China State Shipbuilding Corp, has a displacement of 500 tonnes and is capable of "operating in open seas for a long time," according to state media CCTV.

It is understood that the drone carrier also possesses a huge amount of firepower while it also uses a diesel hybrid system, with a maximum speed of over 40 knots with a range of over 4,000 nautical miles. The state media called it an "all-round warrior" as it could accomplish a wide range of tasks, including marine war combat, anti-submarine combat and anti-air operations, while it could also do environmental recon and rescuing missions.

China's new J-35A stealth fighter jet will also be displayed for the first time.

As the expected highlight of the show, the J-35A, made by Shenyang Aircraft Corp, has been described by the People's Liberation Army Air Force as a "medium-sized stealth multi-purpose fighter."

The J-35A, which uses airstrips to take off and land, is a variant of the J-35, a stealthy aircraft China is developing for use on aircraft carriers. Little is known about its performance or capabilities, although it superficially resembles the Lockheed Martin F-35.