19 November 2020

PLAGF's Tibet Military District orders new VTOL UAVs, says report

by Gabriel Dominguez

Amid ongoing border tensions between China and India the Tibet Military District of the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) has placed orders for assorted defence equipment, including an undisclosed number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to Chinese state-owned media.

Citing a report from China Central Television (CCTV) the state-owned Global Times newspaper reported on 19 November that the district has ordered “smart weapons and customised equipment”, including vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs designed for use in border surveillance and high-altitude operations.

A Ziyan Blowfish A2 VTOL UAV in flight fitted with an underslung rack for four mortar bombs. (CCTV)

The paper identified two of the UAV types ordered as being the strike-capable Blowfish A2 and the long-endurance reconnaissance Ranger P2-X developed by the Zhuhai-based Ziyan Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Company, and quoted the company as saying that these two systems can perform “strategic support, material transport, logistics support, and plateau intelligence reconnaissance and tactical strike missions”.

Among the other items ordered were portable oxygen generators to a multipurpose dining car, according to the report.

The latest developments come after the Tibet Military District recently invited several small- and medium-sized Chinese private companies to put their newest defence products on display as the district seeks to modernise its equipment.

CCTV released footage on 30 October showing that several UAVs were showcased during the small exhibition, including the Blowfish A2 UAV, and the VTOL fixed-wing CW-25 and CW-10 UAVs developed by Chengdu-based company Jouav.

Among the other products displayed at the time were handheld counter-UAV systems; advanced logistics support equipment, such as new portable solar chargers; and specialised clothing made of graphene.

In a report published around the same time the Global Times

Amid ongoing border tensions between China and India the Tibet Military District of the People’s Lib...

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