China Herald: air force

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

UAV's displayed at Zhuhai air show - Wendell Minnick

Chinese companies have displayed 25 different models of UAV, unmanned airplanes, at the Zhuhai air show, stressing it technological development, writes defense expert Wendell Minnick in Defense News.

Three Chinese companies - ASN Technology Group, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC), and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC) produced most of the UAVs on display.

ASN Technology is the largest UAV production company in China, with a history of developing unmanned aerial platforms, including drones, since 1958, said a company press release. The primary customer is the Chinese military and the company controls more than 90 percent of the UAV market in China.

A company spokesperson said ASN works closely with the Northwestern Polytechnical University's UAV Institute.

ASN showed off 10 different UAVs, including the new ASN-211 Flapping Wing Aircraft System, which simulates a bird in flight. The prototype on display has a take-off weight of only 220 grams with a maximum speed of six-to-10 meters a second and an altitude ranging from 20-200 meters. A spokesperson said the micro-UAV would mainly be used for low-altitude reconnaissance for troops in the field.

More details at Defense News.

Wendell Minnick Fantake via Flickr

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Wendell Minnick is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. When you need him at your conference or other meeting, do get in touch.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Air Force shows power in Zhuhai - Wendell Minnick

Wendell Minnick

Defense specialist Wendell Minnick got a preview of the site of the 8th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Zhuhai Airshow), beginning today, showing off China's military capabilities in the air. Seventy aircrafts from 35 countries joined 600 domestic exhibitors.

There were several detailed artist renderings of anti-ship cruise missiles destroying a U.S. aircraft carrier. Two displays by the China Aerospace and Science and Technology Corp. demonstrated how using aerial reconnaissance from UAVs and Beidou satellite communication and navigation satellites could coordinate an anti-ship cruise missile assault from aircraft, surface ships, submarines and land-based coastal batteries....

Foreign commercial aviation and defense companies exhibiting this year include Airbus, AgustaWestland, Bombardier, GE Aviation, Irkut, Pratt and Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Rosoboronexport, Sikorsky, Sukhoi Aviation and Thales.

More in Defense News.

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Wendell Minnick is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. When you need his insights at your meeting or conference, do get in touch.