Landmark in-air refuelling test extends China’s drone swarm delivery range to US homeland
Strike radius of Chinese drone programme capable of carrying deadly military weapons doubled to reach Washington, New York and Miami
Two unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) were used in the refuelling tests. One served as the tanker with a refuelling pod and the other as the receiver.
In high-speed formation flights, the receiver autonomously located, tracked and docked with the tanker under extreme conditions using a highly robust vision-based navigation system.
The development is particularly significant because of the institutional link between the university and China’s advanced drone programme Jiu Tian, a heavy-duty unmanned platform that can carry more than 200 loitering munitions.
With an official range of 7,000km (4,350 miles), Jiu Tian cannot reach the continental US from Chinese bases. But when combined with in-flight refuelling, its effective strike radius could double, placing major east coast cities – from Washington to New York and Miami – within plausible reach.