China To Exhibit Cloud Shadow Military Drone At Air Show 2016

China will be debuting its Cloud Shadow military drone with various other domestic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at the Air Show china in Zhuhai starting today.

Marketed as a high-altitude and long-endurance (HALE) UAV, the Cloud Shadow can be used for strike as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

The Cloud Shadow, made by AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group, possesses a payload of 400 kg, cruising altitude of 14,000 m (i.e. 46,000 ft), a maximum speed of 620 km/h, and endurance of six hours. AVIC is offering the UAV with a standard line-of-sight radio connectivity suite, which offers a range of 290 km.

Airshow China 2016, held at Zhuhai in South China's Guangdong Province will also feature CH-5 combat UAV developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Global Times reported Sunday.

Chinese drones are cost-effective, so China has the advantage to export its drones to countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road' route. The "Belt and Road" initiative was put forward by President Xi Jinping in 2013 to enhance connectivity between Asian, European and African countries.

China's drone sector is seeing a rapid rise in momentum as domestic products have found a competitive edge in the global market thanks to relatively low costs and good performance, Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine.

"Some problems still need to be dealt in developing military UAVs. Relevant research and development companies in China are expected to pay close attention to the service conditions of domestic drone exports in foreign countries and regions, aiming to find ways for improvements," Wang noted.

Apart from showcasing UAVs, China will also showcase new domestic-built J-20 stealth fighter and jets such as the J-10B.

The expo will feature 130 aircraft for static and flying displays, including a large variety of business jets and private aircraft.

For the first time, the Zhuhai air show will also feature certain types of defense equipment, including armored tanks, assault vehicles and cross country vehicles.

More than 700 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions, among which, 45 percent are foreign firms, have signed up for the show this year.

Austria would be making its debut while the Netherlands and New Zealand would both be making their return after nearly a decade, besides the usual national pavilions from countries like Russia, Ukraine, France, the Czech Republic, the U.S. and Canada, Liu Yang, COO of Sichuan-based AOSSCI Technology Ltd, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the UK's Royal Air Force Red Arrow and the Russian Aerobatic Composite Formation Team "Knights and Swifts" will also participate, he added.