When it comes to military drones, China has already established itself as its largest exporter. (Photo : Getty Images News)
When it comes to military drones, China has already established itself as its largest exporter. The Chinese drone market, however, has the potential to reach even higher heights with a new model ready to be released on the international market, China Daily reported.
Called the TYW-1, the new model is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Beihang University, one of the leading institutes in China for science and technology.
According to developers, the TYW-1 will be largely used for reconnaissance and combat missions.
Beihang University developed the new drone model on the same vein as BZK-005, another one of their developments that specialize on high altitude and long range reconnaissance. Based on reports by foreign media, the People’s Liberation Army has been using the BZK-005 on a number of operations.
TYW-1 is scheduled to make its maiden flight in September and will be released on the international market next year, according to Wang Jianping, chief designer and deputy general manager of Beihang Unmanned Aircraft System Technology.
“We aim to tap the markets in neighboring nations, as well as in Southeast Asia and the Middle East,” Wang told China Daily. He is confident the TYW-1 will fare well against competition once it is made available for sale.
“Taking advantage of the good design of the BZK-005, the TYW-1 will be able to fly for about 40 hours. With a maximum takeoff weight of 1,500 kilograms, it will be capable of carrying six missiles of bombs with a total weight of 300 kilograms,” Wang said.
Additionally, the TYW-1 model possesses a high level of automation, and learning how to operate the drone will only take a month, Wang added.
Although Beihang University is not alone when it comes to selling drones to foreign buyers, it will be the first university from China to sell an UAV of a large size on the international market.
