Highly impressive lineup of Chinese air combat drone types caught by satellite

MALAN AIR BASE, China - A satellite image that was posted on Chinese internet shows an impressive lineup of the Chinese military aerial drones, some of which are in development while others are operational. The lineup occurred at Malan Air Base, a known hub of testing for these types of systems. The image is yet another stark reminder of how China is betting big on unmanned aerial military capabilities, from high-end unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) to swarms of small expendable drones, writes Tyler Rogoway for TheDrive.com. Continue reading original article

The Intelligent Aerospace take:

December 10, 2019- A satellite image shows a wide variety of Chinese unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) sitting side-by-side on the tarmac at the country's Malan Air Base located in the far northwest of the country. Included in the photo are high flyers, plus Predator and Reaper-style attack systems, as well as a pair of "flying wing"-type UAS, plus China's jet-powered Cloud Shadow, as well as medium-altitude, long-endurance Tenden TB001 drones. There are also what appears to be unnamed rocket-assisted launch drones, plus smaller, swarm-capable drones, as well as others. With such a wide variety, it appears that China is betting big on UCAVs as it continues to embrace high-tech solutions for its military.

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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace