The People’s Liberation Army of China is preparing to launch their much-anticipated drone mothership capable of carrying and releasing up to 100 UAVs simultaneously.
The Jiu Tan, which means “high sky” is a long-range UAV, capable of sustained flight for 12 hours and transporting weapons and equipment. With a wingspan of 82 feet, a top speed of over 435 miles per hour and maximum range of 4,350 miles, the mothership is seen by some as a symbol of 21st century warfare.
Chinese state media reported last week that the 4th prototype had finished structural assembly and was undergoing installation and testing for its inaugural flight in June. The Jiu Tan was built by Shaanxi Unmanned Equipment Technology and was first shown to the public at the Zhuhai air show last November. The ‘drone mothership’ can also travel at an altitude of almost 9 miles in the sky while carrying 2,200 pound of ordinance making it difficult to detect for surface radar. But by far the most unique aspect of the Jiu Tan is its innovative “heterogeneous honeycomb mission bay” making it both an attack platform and a mothership.
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