Photographs reveal new Chinese MALE UAVs

Two examples of a hitherto unknown Chinese medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were photographed at an airfield near Beijing in early October.

While there is no official background data or specifications relating to this UAV, it does bear a strong resemblance to another Chinese UAV that was revealed in an Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) video shown at the 2006 Zhuhai airshow.

Chinese data released at the time indicated that the UAV in the 2006 video may be a product of the Beijing Aeronautics Institute, one of China's main aeronautics research universities known for its UAV research work. Jane's understands that this 2006 UAV may have the designation BZK-005.

Both UAVs have slightly swept, slender wings with a span of around 18 m and a twin-tailboom and a three-bladed pusher-propeller configuration. The tailfins are canted slightly outward to reduce radar signature. The nose section appears to have a bulged upper lobe, suggesting the presence of a satellite communications antenna. Their presumed purpose is for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) gathering.