CHINA EXPORTS UNMANNED RECONNAISSANCE PLANES

( KWIC Dec. 21 John Wu) the Aisheng Technology Group of Xi'an exhibited an ASN-206 unmanned reconnaissance plane it produced. With a six-wheeled launching carrier, this plane is mainly used for the battlefield reconnaissance to help improve the overall capability of the C31 in the ground battlefield. In the outside appearance and the performance, this plane is basically close to the Israeli-made "Pioneer" unmanned reconnaissance plane. Installed on the stabilization stand at the lower middle part of the plane, the TV camera which is remotely controlled by the people on the ground can scan around horizontally at an angle of 360 degrees through the lens located in the half-circled cabin lid at the lower middle part of the plane. There is a wide range allowable for the adjustment of the field of vision. In light of the different tasks it carries out, the plane can also be equipped with the infrared camera, thermal camera, laser tracking system, and laser ranging finder etc.. Its functions include the aerial reconnaissance at night, the reconnaissance through TV and infrared cameras, target positioning, ELINT, and ECM etc.. The maximum weight of the plane when it takes off is 222 kilograms (vs. 195 kilograms, the bracketed data are for the Israeli-made Pioneer reconnaissance plane.) and its maximum carrying capacity is 50 kilograms (vs. 45 kilograms). At an average flight speed of 210 kilometers per hour (vs. 185 kilometers) and with a controllable radius of 150 kilometers (vs. 135 to 200 kilometers), the plane can reach an altitude of 6000 meters (vs. 4575 meters) and can continuously fly for four to eight hours (vs. six to nine hours).

Judged from the relevant article in the "PLA Daily News Paper" (PLA: People's Liberation Army), the similar unmanned aircraft reconnaissance system has been used in the Chinese ground army. In the meantime, the Chinese ground army has also established a research institute exclusively for the battlefield reconnaissance of the unmanned planes. This research institute is located inside the Hefei Artillery Academy.

The above-mentioned unmanned reconnaissance system is being promoted to Turkey. The Turkish National Defence Agency plans to spend 350 million US dollars on the purchase and cooperative production of the unmanned reconnaissance planes. Now the international tender invitation is underway. The "Aisheng Technology Group of Xi'an" has officially submitted its plan for the cooperative production. Turkey plans to purchase 23 to 37 unmanned reconnaissance plane systems, each of which consists of six unmanned planes and one ground control station.