By RC Porter
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Meet China’s Sharp Sword, A Stealth Attack Drone That Can Likely Carry 2 Tons Of Bombs; Swarms, Miniature & Micro Drones, Aircraft Carrier’s At The Edge Of Space Opening Their Bay Doors ‘To Let Lose The Drones Of War, And So On, Are Coming…..To A Battlefield Near You
Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer had a January 17, 2017 article on PopularScience.com’s website with the title above. They describe the “Sharp Sword UAV, China’s stealthy attack drone, [which] just won second place in the National Science and Technology Advancement Prizes (NSTAP).” The NSTAP is the highest honor in the People’s Republic of China, in science and technology. The prize is handed out once each year; and, recognizes citizens and organizations who have made remarkable contributions to scientific and technological progress, and to promote the development of science and technology, according to Wikipedia. Because of China’s secrecy surrounding new weapons systems, especially stealth drones, “there are relatively few photos of the Sharp Sword available,” the authors note. And, the fact that this particular drone won this prize, ‘is particularly noteworthy,” they argue. “The drone, known as “Lijan,” in Mandarin Chinese, is being paraded as a huge win for Chinese aviation technology. And, it is,” Mr. Lin and Mr. Singer wrote.
“The Sharp Sword is the first, non-NATO, stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle, (UCAV),” Mr. Lin, and Mr. Singer noted. “Built by Aviation Industry Corporation of China, with much of the work done by the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group,” the Sharp Sword had its maiden flight in November 2013. “Looking a bit like a mini-B2 flying wing bomber, the UCAV has two internal bomb bays; and, a likely payload of about 4,400 pounds,” Mr. Lin and Mr. Singer wrote. “Its engine is a non-afterburning WS-13 engine turbofan engine, with serpentine inlet to hide the engine from enemy radars (the first Sharp Sword does not use a stealthy nozzle due to its technology demonstrator status). It has a length of about 33 feet; and, a wingspan of about 46 feet.”
“Stealthy UCAVs have a number of advantages over their manned counterparts,” the authors wrote. “They can fit the same internal payload onto a smaller air-frame, they have much longer ranges, in addition to the typical advantages of unmanned aerial vehicles, like longer flight times. Reporting from the Chinese Internet suggests that a second, even stealthier Sharp Sword began flying last year [2016] (with a stealthy engine). If flight testing with the prototype goes as well as the initial flight tests did with the first air-frame, the Sharp Sword could enter service as early as 2019-2020,” they note.
The Sharp Sword is expected to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions “in areas with dense defense networks, as well as trailing foreign warships,” Mr. Lin and Mr. Singer wrote. But, as China’s military operators become more familiar and knowledgeable about the systems capabilities — Sharp Sword “could be used in combat operations, as a ‘first through the door’ type weapon — against highly defended, high-value targets, as well as an aerial tanker for other drones and carrier aircraft (akin to plans for the U.S. MQ-25),” they add. “There is even the possibility of a carrier version for China’s planned next generation of catapult equipped aircraft carriers.”
“Eventually,” Mr. Lin and Mr. Singer conclude, “advances in distributed systems and artificial intelligence could help the Sharp Sword be a robotic wingman to manned aircraft in an unmanned/manned operational concept; and, take on autonomous missions on its own.”
Drone warfare is coming in a big way — in all shapes and sizes, and with all kinds of missions. Swarms, miniature and micro drones, aircraft carrier’s at the edge of space opening its bay doors to let lose the drones of war, and so on, are coming…..to a battlefield near you.
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