In an aviation tech breakthrough that could change naval warfare, Chinese aerospace engineers have unveiled what could be the world’s first high-speed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone powered by a jet engine.
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The sleek, runway-independent uncrewed aircraft can be launched from the decks of ordinary warships – even in rough seas – and transition seamlessly into a fast, long-range cruise flight.
The drone, representing a radical departure from conventional drone designs, was developed by a 10-year effort led by associate professors Wang Yaokun and Qiu Yuting with Beihang University, a top aviation research institute in Beijing targeted by US sanctions.
Unlike the US Air Force’s XQ-58A Valkyrie, which requires long runways or aircraft carriers for take-off and landing, this new Chinese platform combines vertical lift ability with jet-powered high-speed flight in a single, aerodynamically refined airframe.
This breakthrough could potentially transform every Chinese destroyer, frigate or amphibious vessel into a mini aircraft carrier.
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“We’ve compared it to other mainstream VTOL drones at present. It is far superior in terms of speed,” wrote the project team in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Chinese-language journal Aero Weaponry on July 15.