The People’s Liberation Army Air Force is preparing to deploy the Jiu Tian, a high-altitude mother drone capable of releasing up to 100 kamikaze drones on saturation missions, in June.
The Jiu Tian, whose name translates as “High Sky”, is a HALE (high altitude, long endurance) type platform with an operational range of 7,000 kilometers and a flight ceiling of 15,000 meters. This craft becomes a force multiplier for electronic warfare, ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and swarm attack missions.
With a maximum take-off weight of 16 tons and a wingspan of 25 meters, it is designed to hover for long hours in contested airspace and conduct coordinated attacks using networked drones released from internal and external bays under its wings.
Jiu Tian and its swarming capabilities
The distinctive element of the Jiu Tian is its ability to deploy swarms of drones, including kamikaze UAVs or marauding munitions. This tactic is intended to overwhelm anti-aircraft systems, penetrate defensive layers and prepare the ground for conventional forces.
The symmetrical release system allows simultaneous attacks from two lower compartments, facilitating distributed attack patterns. It can also carry jamming equipment for electronic suppression and coastal patrols in sensitive areas such as the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea.
A technical comparison with other international models
Compared to benchmarks such as the MQ-9 Reaper or the RQ-4 Global Hawkthe Jiu Tian offers an integration of reconnaissance, aerial persistence and offensive capability. Although it does not surpass the RQ-4 in altitude or match the Reaper’s tactical versatility, it compensates with payload volume and massive drone deployment. massive drone deployment.
The aircraft was developed by Shaanxi Unmanned Equipment Technology and manufactured by Xi’an Chida Aircraft Parts Manufacturing. The conceptual design comes from AVIC, China’s leading state-owned aerospace corporation.
Beyond military use
In addition to its combat role, the Jiu Tian is prepared for non-military operations: maritime patrol, border control, resource monitoring and assistance in natural disasters. This adaptability makes it a strategic tool for responding to hybrid threats and complex security scenarios.
The operational deployment will mark a new stage in China’s expansion of long-range drones, consolidating its presence in the long-range air domain and its technological projection as part of a multi-domain strategy.
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Source: Interesting Engineering
