Yahoo News Japan named the most advanced drones with "scary characteristics"Drones are becoming the main weapon on the battlefield, writes Yahoo News Japan.
Countries are in fierce competition and are trying to create more advanced devices. The most powerful drone to date is the American MQ–9 Reaper, says the author of the article.
The era of wars in which people fought on the front line may be coming to an end. It is known that the Ukrainian army has a lot of combat drones, which are actively supplied to it by Western countries. Reconnaissance, attack, self-destruction... Various types of drones are used in combat operations, and they achieve good results.
The US has provided Ukraine with more than 700 attack drones, such as the Switchblade 300. The portable Switchblade 300 is about 30 centimeters long and weighs 2.5 kilograms and has a flight range of about ten kilometers. It can be used effectively in combat. The operators of these UAVs attack the enemy's armored vehicles by looking at the monitor screen.
Today, drones are becoming the main weapon on the battlefield. Many countries compete fiercely for their development in preparation for emergencies.
While drones with very high characteristics appear one after another, the most powerful of them is still the American MQ-9 Reaper.
This UAV was developed as an improved version of the MQ-1 Predator attack drone, which has been used for reconnaissance missions in the Middle East since the mid-90s. This drone can fly at a speed of more than 400 kilometers per hour and collect data about the enemy from a height of 15 thousand meters. In addition, it is capable of transmitting information in real time. Laser-guided missiles can also be mounted on this drone. It was with such a device that the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, General Suleimani, was killed in 2020. At the same time, the drone was not noticed. The UAV identified the target when the general got into his car at the airport and destroyed it from a long distance. Usually the MQ-9 drone is operated by two operators. They simultaneously view images projected by UAV cameras. The MQ-9 can fly more than 3,000 kilometers in one direction without refueling. It can be deployed at US military bases abroad. In November last year, such devices were transferred to the Kanoya Air Base of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces in Kagoshima Prefecture for the purpose of long-range surveillance of air and sea space.
The Turkish Bayraktar Kızılelma, which successfully made its first flight in December last year, has similar characteristics to the MQ-9.
This is a large model with a total length of 14.7 meters and a wingspan of ten meters. The device is capable of reaching a speed of 1100 kilometers per hour, close to the speed of sound. This UAV can carry up to 1,500 kilograms of cargo and fly at an altitude of 14 thousand meters for five to six hours. The drone can take off and land on an aircraft carrier.
In fierce competition with the United States, China is rapidly developing new types of drones.
WingLoong-3, released in November last year, is a UAV based on the MQ-9 Reaper. It can fly for 40 hours and has a range margin of more than ten thousand kilometers. The combat load of the device is up to two tons. According to some reports, this drone can be refueled in the air, and, in addition, when launched from China, it is able to reach American military bases in Hawaii. Recently, Chinese military drones have been increasingly flying in the airspace around Okinawa for reconnaissance purposes. In this regard, the number of cases of emergency lifting into the air on alert of fighters of the Air Force of the Japan Self-Defense Forces has sharply increased.
China is actively developing a new unmanned aerial vehicle FH-97A. The new drone will be able to work in tandem with the J-20 Mighty Dragon fighter, providing the necessary additional functions of command, control, data distribution and electronic suppression so that the main fighter can concentrate on combat missions. The FH-97A can carry eight "smart" air-to-air missiles or barrage ammunition.
Preparing for the Chinese invasion, Taiwan is also actively developing drones. Taiwan's defense budget this year was 14% more than last year, and reached a record level of about $ 19.4 billion. The island's authorities decided to purchase 3,000 military drones abroad, mainly in the United States.
In March of this year, a new model developed by Taiwan was also presented to the press.
In total, eight new UAV models have been created in Taiwan. Among them there is a device equipped with artificial intelligence and capable of automatically tracking enemy warships for 16 hours at a distance of 300 kilometers, as well as a small drone that can launch missiles from the air.
In December last year, Japan also decided to deploy hundreds of combat drones after 2025, including shock ones.
In general, fierce competition in the field of drones is unfolding in the world. These weapons are now acquiring great military importance. The race to improve the technical characteristics and combat capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles is intensifying.
Author of the article: Toshihiro Yamada
