China is promoting its first carrier-based drone, the Nine Days SS-UAV (social media).

The Nine Days is China's fifth-generation attack drone, designed for high-altitude long endurance (HALE), and is unique in that it is designed to carry smaller drones.

In November 2024, China unveiled the world's first high-altitude drone aircraft carrier. This large unmanned aircraft can carry hundreds of small drones, acting as an airbase capable of launching a large number of drones at altitudes up to 15 kilometers.

The unveiling ceremony took place at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held in Zhuhai. According to recent reports from Chinese official media, flight tests are expected to begin at the end of June.

Drone Carrier

This project was developed by state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Its Chinese name (Nine Days) means "high altitude."

The initial signs of this project began to appear in military media early in 2023, but surprisingly, the aircraft made its first public appearance at the Zhuhai Airshow last year.

The upcoming test flights in June mark an unprecedented acceleration from concept to flight, which usually takes several years. A report from Army Recognition stated that this is due to direct and generous support provided by China for accelerating military innovation and overall technological innovation.

Nine Days SS-UAV (social media).

As for the technical details of the aircraft, it relies on a high-thrust turboprop engine mounted on top of the fuselage, giving it a range of 7,000 kilometers and a flight time of up to 36 hours. Perhaps the true distinction of the Nine Days lies in its payload. It can be seen as an "aircraft carrier," capable of carrying various payloads weighing up to 6 tons, ranging from small drones to munitions, within its multi-purpose compartments and eight external hardpoints.

According to official Chinese media reports, the aircraft can launch more than 100 small drones through ports on the underside of the fuselage, including kamikaze drones and reconnaissance drones, making it an airborne drone launcher.

The reports indicate that this aircraft serves as an "airborne command post," responsible for coordinating complex drone swarms over wide areas. Once launched, these drones can perform a variety of tasks, whether reconnaissance, interference, or destruction of enemy air defenses, or even large-scale attacks on specific targets.

Dual Role

Conceptually, the Nine Days is a competitor to the US MQ-9 "Reaper" and RQ-4 "Global Hawk," but its mission profile differs. The MQ-9 "Reaper" drone focuses on precision strikes and reconnaissance missions, whereas the "Nine Days" drone acts as an aerial control center for drone swarms, similar to an aircraft carrier.

The RQ-4 "Global Hawk" drone is primarily used for strategic reconnaissance missions and lacks the attack and decentralized control capabilities of China's aircraft.

The Nine Days combines features of both American models and adds some unique functions. Like the RQ-4 "Global Hawk," it is designed for long-range high-altitude reconnaissance missions, with broad wings and the ability to sustain flight over vast areas. Its rear-mounted engine also reduces thermal signatures, enhancing stealth and maneuverability.

In simple terms, the Nine Days serves a dual role; it is a high-altitude attack and reconnaissance aircraft, like its competitors "Global Hawk" or "Reaper," and also a launch platform for small drones. Compared to aircraft carriers or manned high-altitude platforms, the "Nine Days" offers a more cost-effective and stealthy alternative without putting pilots at risk.

Chinese reports also show that the "Nine Days" drone uses an artificial intelligence control system, allowing one pilot to remotely operate the aircraft and a swarm of small drones. The aircraft is securely connected to satellites, potentially using quantum encryption technology for communication, thereby reducing the risk of interference or hacking.

Despite China's desire to enhance its stealth capabilities, its large size makes it an attractive target for advanced air defense systems, often requiring air cover to escort and eliminate ground threats. According to Newsweek, the maximum declared altitude (7,000 kilometers) of the Chinese aircraft remains within the range of advanced air defense systems such as the US Patriot PAC-3, Taiwan's Skyhawk 3, and Japan's Aegis system.

Of course, China's ambitious claims about these advanced capabilities have yet to be proven or tested on the battlefield. But perhaps the most important point here is the speed at which this idea has developed and its uniqueness.

Moreover, the speed of this development—from design to testing in just two years—is rare for such a complex drone, possibly reflecting China's ambitions to develop drone systems and subsequent other military systems, which could give China mobility and advantages in specific fields in the future.

Drone Swarm Warfare

Perhaps the question to answer is why China seeks to build an "airborne drone carrier" soaring through the skies?

Part of the answer may lie in the changing landscape of contemporary warfare. In recent years, drone swarm tactics have caught the attention of military strategists, who view deploying large numbers of low-cost drones as a way to overwhelm enemy defenses through quantity and coordination rather than relying solely on weapons.

For example, instead of depending on a few traditional aircraft or expensive missiles, dozens or even hundreds of drones can be launched. The idea here is that these squadrons don't all possess immense destructive power, but together they can exhaust the equipment and weapons of the most advanced and powerful enemies.

In this context, the Nine Days was specifically developed for this type of warfare. It is an airborne launch platform that doubles the deployment range and speed of small drone swarms. Imagine a scenario where the sky is suddenly filled with clouds of war robots; this equation disrupts the economic calculations of warfare, forcing defenders to fire dozens of expensive missiles to repel attacks from a single, relatively low-cost platform.

For China and its vision of the future, the "Nine Days" is expected to play a key role in gaining air superiority, especially in disputed strategic regions. As another report from Army Recognition noted, when combined with large drones, fighters, and ballistic missiles, they form a military combination ensuring China's air superiority and providing immediate effective strikes and precise reconnaissance when needed.

Chinese military thinkers believe that this approach transcends traditional Western concepts of airpower. Beijing has not merely imitated the US arsenal but invested in systems capable of undermining the importance of US aircraft carriers. As one analysis put it, the Nine Days and its sister aircraft attempt to "redefine air superiority" through scalable and deployable airborne assets that are difficult to destroy in a single strike.

These drone swarms can cover large areas without forming centralized targets. Therefore, losing some units does not mean mission failure but part of the process to break through enemy defense systems, disperse enemy forces, and disrupt enemy operations.

While human pilots can only appear at certain moments, the "Nine Days" platform can coordinate dozens of semi-autonomous drones at any time.

This vision aligns with China's strengths and ambitions. The People's Liberation Army studied contemporary warfare, particularly the Ukrainian war known for its drone warfare. Beijing learned lessons from commercial quadcopters and suicide drones, proving that these low-cost tools can destroy tanks, detect artillery, and even disrupt advanced defensive systems when deployed in large numbers.

After the Ukrainian war, some US military leaders compared the impact of these drones to tactical revolutions that historically changed the nature and course of warfare. The Russo-Ukrainian war and subsequent Gaza conflict exposed the strategic importance of cheap and easily replaceable drones, which can serve military purposes.

It is worth noting that China's capability to use drone swarms was already apparent before the development of the Nine Days platform. In 2020, a Chinese state-owned company conducted qualitative tests, launching drones from 48 launchers (including truck-launched and helicopter-launched systems).

With the development of artificial intelligence and decentralized communication systems, controlling larger and more coordinated groups has become possible. Thus, when the Nine Days platform appeared, launching squadrons from the air rather than the ground seemed logical to conduct tactical surprise attacks against opponents from above.

In this context, the Nine Days drone can fly at relatively safe altitudes and launch large numbers of small drones into the battlefield. These squadrons can attack radar stations, ships, or air defense systems, paving the way for land, sea, and air army units.

Chinese Advantage

Stepping back, the Nine Days drone is a natural result of China's heavy investment in unmanned systems.

According to recent military analyses and reports, China's defense industry is currently developing more than 50 drone models, ranging from small quadcopters used for field reconnaissance to oddly shaped stealth attack aircraft. To understand the scale of this effort, it suffices to know that Chinese factories are preparing to produce millions of small suicide drones by 2026.

The increase in drone production and inventory is due to Chinese companies' dominance in the market, as they produce and sell the majority of drones worldwide. Adding insult to injury, the US commercial drone sector lags behind China, and Chinese companies dominate the market for dual-use technologies.

For example, according to the latest statistics, Ukraine purchased Mavic quadcopters produced by DJI, a Chinese company, accounting for approximately 60% of global supply.

In the end, as the innovation race in the drone field continues, the question remains: what will future wars look like if today's wars are so destructive?

Source: aljazeera

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508058464430670386/

Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. Feel free to express your attitude by clicking the "Top/Downvote" buttons below.