China’s drone dominance: Jiu Tian carrier to enable Global UAV missions

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  • Super-high altitude UAV with 7,000km range and ability to release up to 100 units of small drones will take off on first mission by June-end

BEIJING,China.May 19(SCMP) – China’s “drone carrier” Jiu Tian will take off for its first mission by the end of June, laying the groundwork for the Chinese air force to extend its range of unmanned aerial combat.

The news was circulated by Chinese media on the weekend, with state broadcaster CCTV confirming the mission on Monday.

The first mission flight will mark the beginning of a series of tests before the aircraft is deployed by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Jiu Tian – whose name means “high sky” – is a super-high altitude, long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that debuted in the country’s Zhuhai air show in November.