Unmanned aircraft of China … In the 1960-1970s, as part of the confrontation between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the United States and the USSR were creating heavy unmanned aerial vehicles with jet engines, which were intended for conducting tactical reconnaissance. The military leadership of the superpowers considered light drones to be expensive toys, devoid of any noticeable combat potential. Much has changed since Israel actively used relatively small UAVs to defeat the Syrian air defense system in the early 1980s. After these events, in a number of countries, the development of light and middle class drones began, capable of not only acting as false targets for air defense systems and carrying out reconnaissance in the enemy's near rear, but also carrying strike weapons.
Unmanned aerial vehicles ASN-104, ASN-105 and ASN-205
As mentioned in the first part of the review, the Chinese military had some experience in operating UAVs by the early 1980s. The troops used light, very primitive models with radio control, a glider made of plywood and low-power piston engines. The main purpose of these drones was to train anti-aircraft artillery crews. Technologically more advanced jet unmanned targets and reconnaissance aircraft were created on the basis of American and Soviet models. The developments available in the PRC and cooperation with Western firms made it possible to very quickly create and adopt small drones that could be used for reconnaissance in the front line, adjusting artillery fire and jamming enemy radars.
In 1985, trial operation of the D-4 UAV began, which was later designated ASN-104. This remotely piloted vehicle was developed by specialists from the UAV laboratory of the Xi'an Research Institute (later reorganized into the Xian Aisheng Technology Group) and is made mainly of fiberglass reinforced with carbon fiber.
ASN-104 is built in the same way as the first Chinese radio-controlled targets Ba-2 and Ba-7. It looks like a miniature piston aircraft and is powered by an HS-510 air-cooled four-cylinder two-stroke piston engine (maximum power 30 hp) mounted at the front of the aircraft. Wingspan - 4.3 m. Length - 3.32 m.
Initially, the launch of the device was carried out from a towed launcher using a solid propellant booster. Later, the launching device was placed in the back of an army truck Dongfeng EQ 1240. Landing was carried out using a parachute.
For its time, the ASN-104 had good characteristics. The device with a takeoff weight of 140 kg could conduct reconnaissance at a distance of up to 60 km from the ground station. The fuel tank with a volume of 18 liters was enough for 2 hours of flight. The maximum speed is up to 250 km / h. Cruising - 150 km / h. Ceiling - 3200 m. The payload weighing up to 10 kg included photos and television cameras.
A drone equipped with an autopilot, a remote control system, a telemetry system and a television signal transmission equipment could fly under the control of a ground station or according to a predetermined program. The UAV unit consisted of six drones, three launch devices, a command and control vehicle with remote control equipment and receiving reconnaissance information in real time, as well as a laboratory for processing photographic materials.
According to Western data, the first ASN-104 squadrons reached combat readiness in 1989. After training at the Dingxin training ground in Gansu province, units equipped with drones were sent to Heilongjiang and Yunnan provinces, in the border areas with the USSR and Vietnam.
Having comprehended the operating experience of the ASN-104 UAV, the Chinese military leadership set the designers the task of increasing the reconnaissance range and introducing a night channel into the reconnaissance equipment. In accordance with these requirements, in the early 1990s, the drone entered service, which received the designation ASN-105. This device looks like ASN-104, but it has become the largest.
According to information published by the Chinese media, the ASN-105 UAV weighs 170 kg in a state prepared for departure. Wingspan - 5 m, length - 3.75 m. The maximum speed compared to ASN-104 became less, and amounted to 200 km / h. However, this indicator is not so important for an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft as the flight duration, which increased to 6 hours. On the modification known as ASN-105A, the maximum flight altitude increased to 5000 m, which reduced the vulnerability from MZA and short-range mobile air defense systems.
Thanks to the use of new control equipment, a telescopic antenna-mast device 18 m high and an increase in the power of the television transmitter, it became possible to control the drone and receive a television picture from it at a distance of up to 100 km. In case of departure at night, night vision cameras are used.
In 2009, at a military parade dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, an improved version, designated ASN-105B, was demonstrated. A three-axle Dongfeng EQ1240 off-road army truck was used as a transport and launcher.
Although the airframe and power plant of the drone have not undergone significant changes, its electronic filling has been significantly improved. It is reported that the ground control equipment is fully computerized, and the electronic units of the UAV have been transferred to a new element base. Thanks to the use of the Beidou satellite navigation system, the accuracy of determining the coordinates of the observed objects has increased, which in turn has increased efficiency in adjusting artillery fire and issuing target designations to its aircraft. In addition, if the drone is used in program mode or if the control channel is lost, it is highly likely to be able to return to the launch point. All reconnaissance information received during the flight was recorded on an electronic carrier.
A further development option for the ASN-105 UAV was the ASN-215. At the same time, the weight of the aircraft increased to 220 kg, but the dimensions remained the same as that of the ASN-105.
Due to the increase in the payload mass, it was necessary to install an increased power engine and reduce the fuel supply on board. For this reason, the time spent in the air was reduced to 5 hours. The maximum flight altitude does not exceed 3300 m. The maximum speed is 200 km / h. Cruising - 120-140 km / h. The increase in transmitter power made it possible to increase the controlled flight range up to 200 km. Information from the television camera is transmitted to the control center via a digital channel. Compared to ASN-104/105 devices, the quality of the picture transmitted in real time has significantly improved. On ASN-205, the all-day camera is located on a stabilized turntable, in the lower part of the fuselage. This allows you to track the target regardless of the course and position of the drone. In order to expand the range of combat applications, a modular payload placement option was used. If necessary, instead of visual reconnaissance equipment, an interference transmitter or a VHF radio signal repeater can be installed.
The light-class UAVs ASN-104, ASN-105 and ASN-215 were produced in large series and are still in service today. They are a good example of the evolutionary improvement in the performance of a family of drones created on the basis of a single platform. These relatively inexpensive and simple devices were intended for use in divisional and regimental echelons, mainly for reconnaissance in the enemy's near rear and observation of the battlefield. Thanks to the use of high-resolution cameras and satellite navigation, it became possible to accurately adjust the artillery fire.
Subsequently, obsolete drones being removed from service were actively used in the process of combat training of anti-aircraft crews, both on land and at sea.
Sino-Israeli cooperation in the field of unmanned aircraft
It may seem strange, but at the end of the 20th century, China overtook our country in the creation of unmanned aerial vehicles of light and middle class, and this superiority is still observed. This is largely due to the lack of understanding of the role of the drone by the Soviet generals, and the general socio-economic recession that began in the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s. The Chinese high-ranking military, having concluded from the use of Israeli UAVs in Lebanon, considered them an inexpensive and rather effective means of armed struggle, which, if used correctly, could have a noticeable effect on the course of hostilities, even when faced with a technologically advanced enemy. In the second half of the 1980s, the 365th Research Institute, located in Xi'an, in the central part of the PRC, became the leading developer and manufacturer of Chinese drones.
However, the achievements of Chinese designers, who have created a line of successful UAVs, did not appear out of nowhere. Noticeable progress in this direction is associated with close Chinese-Israeli cooperation, and the ability to copy control systems, video recording and data transmission installed on Israeli drones. As you know, Israel in the 1980s achieved significant success in the development of UAVs, even the United States found itself in the role of catching up. Access to the PRC to Israeli technologies became possible in the early 1980s, after the Chinese leadership began to make harsh anti-Soviet statements and provide substantial military and financial support to the Afghan mujahideen. In this regard, Western countries began to consider China as a possible ally in the event of a military conflict with the USSR. To modernize the Chinese army with Soviet-style equipment and weapons developed in the 1950s-1960s, with the blessing of the United States, a number of European and Western companies began military-technical cooperation with the PRC. As a result, Chinese developers gained access to the then-modern "dual-use products": avionics, turbojet engines, communications and telecontrol equipment. In addition to purchasing individual units and components, China acquired licenses for the production of guided missiles, radars, aircraft and helicopters. The military-technical cooperation of the PRC with Western countries, interrupted in 1989 due to the events in Tiananmen Square, significantly raised the technological level of the Chinese defense industry, and made it possible to start re-equipping the army with modern models.
Unmanned aerial vehicles ASN-206, ASN-207 and ASN-209
One of the most striking examples of Sino-Israeli cooperation was the ASN-206 UAV, designed jointly by the 365th Research Institute (a subdivision of the Xi'an North-West Polytechnic University dealing with unmanned aerial vehicles) and the Israeli company Tadiran, which assisted in the creation of onboard equipment and a ground control station. ASN-206 received a digital aircraft monitoring and control system, an integrated radio system and modern flight control equipment. Development of the ASN-206 lasted from 1987 to 1994. In 1996, the drone was presented at the Zhuhai International Air Show, which came as a surprise to most foreign experts. Prior to that, it was believed that China was not capable of independently creating devices of this class.
UAV ASN-206 with a maximum take-off weight of 225 kg has a wingspan of 6 m, a length of 3.8 m. The maximum flight speed is 210 km / h. The ceiling is 6000 m. The maximum distance from the ground control station is 150 km. The time spent in the air is up to 6 hours. Payload - 50 kg. According to the layout, the ASN-206 is a two-girder high-wing aircraft with a pusher propeller, which rotates the HS-700 piston engine with a power of 51 hp. The advantage of this arrangement is that the rear position of the two-bladed propeller does not obstruct the line of sight of the optoelectronic survey devices installed in the lower front part of the fuselage.
The launch is carried out from a launcher located on a cargo chassis, using a solid propellant booster. Landing with a parachute. The ASN-206 UAV squadron includes 6-10 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1-2 launch vehicles, separate control, information reception and processing vehicles, a mobile power supply, a refueling station, a crane, technical assistance vehicles and vehicles for transporting UAVs and personnel.
With the exception of the control station, the equipment of which is mounted in a minibus, all these other components are made on an off-road truck chassis.
Depending on the purpose, various versions of the ASN-206 UAV can be equipped with a set of high-resolution monochrome and color cameras. The drone has room for three daytime cameras, each of which can be replaced with an IR camera. In later versions, an optoelectronic reconnaissance, observation and target designation system (with a laser designator) is installed in a sphere with a diameter of 354 mm, having a circular rotation and vertical viewing angles of + 15 ° / -105 °. The received information can be transmitted to the ground station in real time. Alternatively, the drone can be equipped with a JN-1102 jamming station operating in the frequency range of 20 to 500 MHz. The JN-1102 equipment automatically scans the air and interferes with enemy radio stations.
A further development option for the ASN-206 UAV was the enlarged ASN-207 (also known as the WZ-6), which was put into service in 1999. The device with a takeoff weight of 480 kg has a length of 4.5 m and a wingspan of 9 m. The maximum speed is 190 km / h. Ceiling - 6000 m. Payload mass - 100 kg. Flight duration - 16 hours. Operating range - 600 km.
UAV ASN-207, like the previous model, carries a combined day / night optoelectronic equipment mounted on a rotating stabilized platform and a laser rangefinder-designator. Since the high-frequency digital signal propagates within the line of sight, a repeater drone known as the TKJ-226 is used to control the drone at maximum range.
This device is based on the ASN-207 UAV airframe and is used with it in one unmanned squadron. Outwardly, this modification differs from the reconnaissance version by the presence of vertical whip antennas.
In the 21st century, images of the ASN-207 modification with a mushroom-shaped radar antenna, which is used in conjunction with an optoelectronic surveillance system, appeared in the Chinese media. A number of sources say that this drone model received the designation BZK-006. The characteristics and purpose of the radar are not known, but, most likely, it is intended for terrain reconnaissance in poor visibility conditions. Since the installation of a massive radar fairing increased drag, the flight duration of the BZK-006 UAV is 12 hours.
The flight of BZK-006 is continuously monitored by two operators located in the mobile control room. One is responsible for the location of the drone in space, the other collects intelligence information.
To suppress enemy radio networks operating in the VHF range, the RKT164 UAV is intended. On this unmanned vehicle, a whip antenna is installed in place of the mushroom fairing.
At the 2010 air show in Zhuhai, an attack modification known as the DCK-006 was demonstrated. Under the wing of the drone there are hardpoints on which four miniature laser-guided missiles can be placed.
Artillery reconnaissance units of the PLA are currently massively equipped with JWP01 and JWP02 UAVs, specifically designed to adjust artillery fire.
ASN-209 occupies an intermediate position in weight and size between the ASN-206 and ASN-207 UAVs, for monitoring the battlefield on the ground, searching and tracking ground targets, artillery fire control and border patrolling.
This model is 4, 273 m long, with a wingspan of 7, 5 m, has a take-off weight of 320 kg, and from the very beginning was intended for export deliveries. With a payload of 50 kg, the drone can operate at a distance of 200 km from the control station, and stay in the air for 10 hours. The maximum flight altitude is 5000 m. The unit consists of two unmanned aerial vehicles of the ASN-209 type and three vehicles with a launch ramp, a command post and support facilities.
In 2011, the ASN-209 UAV was offered to potential buyers, and already in 2012, a contract was signed with Egypt for the supply of 18 drones. According to Chinese data, the export value of the ASN-209 is about 40% less than that of a similar class of drones built in Israel and the United States. One of the terms of the deal was the transfer of Chinese technology and assistance in setting up the production of drones at Egyptian enterprises. Thus, it can be stated that China in a fairly short period of time has turned from an importer of technologies and design developments, into an exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles that are quite competitive in the world arms market.
Light UAVs ASN-15 and ASN-217
Since the mid-1990s, based on Israeli technologies, the 365th Research Institute has been developing a light-class UAV ASN-15, designed to conduct near daytime visual reconnaissance. The drone entered service with the PLA ground forces in 1997, and was shown to the public in 2000.
The aircraft weighing about 7 kg was created on the basis of the ASN-1 UAV, which was not adopted for service, the main disadvantage of which was insufficiently perfect control equipment and low quality of the transmitted television picture. In contrast, the ASN-15 is equipped with a new generation miniature TV camera and a sufficiently powerful TV signal transmitter. UAV ASN-15 is capable of staying in the air for about an hour, at a distance of up to 10 km from the ground control point. The miniature two-stroke gasoline engine provided a top speed of up to 80 km / h. Ceiling - 3 km. Wingspan - 2, 5 m. Length -1, 7 m. Due to the location of the engine and propeller on the upper part of the wing, landing is made on the fuselage.
The further development of the light UAV ASN-15 was the ASN-217. This device is equipped with more advanced observation equipment, and the propeller rotates an electric motor powered by a battery.
Takeoff weight - 5.5 kg. In horizontal flight, ASN-217 can accelerate to 110 km / h, cruising speed - 45-60 km / h. The time spent in the air is up to 1.5 hours. The distance from the ground station is 20 km. The device was shown in 2010 in Zhuhai, but its real status is not known. A number of experts believe that a disposable drone carrying an explosive charge and designed to attack ground targets could be created on its basis.
Loitering ammunition JWS01 and ASN-301
In 1995, the PLA acquired the Israeli "kamikaze drones" of the IAI Harpy family. The first samples of "killer drones" of this family were created in the late 1980s, and later there were several new modifications. This was one of the first projects of "loitering ammunition", implemented in practice. Israel Aerospace Industries has managed to create a compact and relatively inexpensive drone capable of conducting reconnaissance and striking air defense systems. Subsequently, the "Harpy" was produced exclusively in the shock version, and the observation tasks were assigned to other unmanned aerial vehicles.
UAV Harpy is made according to the "flying wing" scheme with a cylindrical fuselage protruding forward. An internal combustion engine with a capacity of 37 hp is placed in the tail section of the vehicle. with a pushing screw. "Harpy" carries a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 32 kg and is equipped with an autopilot and a passive radar homing head. The length of the apparatus is 2.7 m, the wingspan is 2.1 m. The take-off weight is 125 kg. Speed - up to 185 km / h, with a flight range of 500 km.
The launch is carried out from a container launcher using a powder charge; return and reuse is not provided. After the launch "Harpy" under the control of the autopilot went out to the patrol area. At a given point, a passive radar seeker was included in the work, and the search for enemy ground radars began. When the desired signal is detected, the drone automatically aims at the source and hits it with an explosion of the warhead. Unlike anti-radar missiles, the Harpy can stay in the desired area for several hours and wait for the target signal to appear. At the same time, due to the relatively low RCS, detection of the drone by radar means is difficult.
In 2004, China expressed its intention to conclude another contract for the supply of a new batch of improved Hapry-2 "killer drones" and the modernization of already sold drones. However, the United States opposed this, and an international scandal erupted. As a result, the PRC was denied the sale of new loitering ammunition and the modernization of those supplied earlier. However, by that time, the Chinese industry had reached the level when it became possible to create such products on their own.
The Chinese version of the "Harpy" received the designation JWS01. It is generally similar to the product of the Israeli company IAI, but has a number of differences. For the Chinese loitering ammunition intended for the destruction of air defense systems, there are two types of replaceable seeker, operating in different frequency ranges, which significantly expands the range of potential targets. UAV JWS01 after launch is completely autonomous, and performs flight in accordance with a pre-laid program.
The mobile launcher on the Beiben North Benz off-road truck chassis carries six JWS01. The unit includes three self-propelled launchers, an electronic reconnaissance station and a mobile command post. An improved model ASN-301 was presented at the IDEX 2017 arms and military equipment exhibition, which took place in February 2017 in Abu Dhabi. In the lower and upper parts of the fuselage of the modernized "kamikaze drone" additional antennas are installed, which, according to experts, makes it possible to remotely correct the actions of the drone.
Thus, it can be stated that in the 1980s-1990s, a reserve was created in the PRC, which made it possible to fully equip the People's Liberation Army of China with unmanned aerial vehicles of light and middle class. Moreover, Chinese UAV manufacturers are actively squeezing Israeli and American firms that previously held a dominant position in this segment on the international market.
