Soon after the National Day holiday, the American Planet Labs company released a batch of photos. They found that the CH-7 (Attack-11) drone appeared on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and there was more than one. This model has long surpassed the stage of scientific research and experimentation, entering into actual combat duty status.

[CH-7 at Rikaze Airport]

Planet Labs' satellites discovered the CH-7 at Rikaze Airport in Tibet. At that time, three aircraft of this model were parked side by side at the airport, with several other large-winged drones nearby. One of them might be the CH-1.

The dates of these photos are August 6th and September 5th. In the photo from August 6th, two CH-7s with dark gray paint can be seen, while another CH-7 was painted in an unusual rust red color. By September 5th, only two gray-painted ones remained on the tarmac, and the rust red one was likely airborne on a mission. The CH-7s at Rikaze Airport have been in forward deployment. The positions of ground support vehicles in the two photos are different, indicating that these drones are frequently deployed for missions.

[One of the CH-7s flew away on September 5th]

On September 10th, in another corner of Rikaze Airport, the satellite also captured a batch of J-11 family fighter jets. Due to resolution limitations, it is not possible to accurately determine whether their model is J-11 or J-16. However, interestingly, some of these fighter jets were also painted in a rust red color. Therefore, the outside world believes this is likely a test of a new aircraft paint scheme suitable for high-altitude operations.

Rikaze Airport is located in southern Tibet, 144 kilometers north of Sikkim. Sikkim has been annexed by India. Therefore, we can consider that this place is less than 150 kilometers away from the Indian military's fortified front line.

Western analysts believe that Rikaze Airport has been permanently deployed with various combat aircraft, including WZ-7, early warning aircraft, and J-10 models. It is the largest city in southern Tibet. After the completion of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, aviation logistics have been fully supported, allowing for the large-scale transportation and storage of aviation spare parts, weapons, and equipment.

Western analysts also emphasized that Rikaze Airport has the longest hardened runway in the world, measuring 5 kilometers in length, providing good conditions for large aircraft to take off at high altitudes. Additionally, a 3-kilometer runway has been built here, allowing smaller aircraft such as fighters or drones to take off and land from the 3-kilometer runway, reserving the longer runway for aircraft like the KJ-500 or Y-20.

[Fighter jets at Rikaze Airport]

India is certainly aware of the strategic significance of Rikaze Airport. So what is the importance of the CH-7 appearing here? As a stealth drone, India's radar and electronic systems are incapable of detecting it.

Neither ground surveillance radars nor the alert radars on fighter jets can detect it from a tactical perspective. If the CH-7 takes off from Rikaze and secretly penetrates behind the Indian military's front lines for optical or electronic reconnaissance, the Indian military would be unable to react throughout the entire process.

After the Galwan Valley conflict in 2020, foreign commercial remote sensing satellites had previously discovered Chinese deployment of J-20 stealth fighters near the conflict zone. With the easing of the situation between the two sides, the necessity of deploying J-20 models on the frontline is not very significant.

However, to effectively monitor the Indian military's situation, we still need a model capable of penetrating air defenses. Although the WZ-8 drone has stealth characteristics, its flight speed is relatively fast and its loitering time is short, making it unsuitable for long-term reconnaissance and monitoring missions. The CH-7 configuration is therefore perfectly suitable for this purpose.

Additionally, the WZ-8 does not have attack capabilities. If the situation suddenly deteriorates, other models will need to be mobilized to respond. The CH-7, however, can achieve both reconnaissance and strike capabilities. According to its size, it can carry powerful ground attack munitions to strike reinforced targets, such as the Indian military's frontline command posts, etc.

[J-20, WZ-7, etc., at Rikaze Airport]

These photos also prove that the CH-7 has become the only officially operational flying wing stealth drone in the world today. Although the United States has led in manned flying wing stealth aircraft, having first put the B-2 and B-21 models into service, its X-47B models have never been officially adopted for use.

The legendary RQ-180 has also never entered service. Therefore, China has taken a significant lead in this field of air force equipment. Meanwhile, the disadvantage of the Indian Air Force in terms of air equipment has expanded to an unbridgeable extent.

This is not the end of the story. Satellite images have also revealed that a batch of aircraft shelters are being built in another corner of Rikaze Airport. Other drones that appeared during the parade, especially fifth-generation and sixth-generation unmanned collaborative combat aircraft, might also appear at Rikaze Airport in the future. With the protection of the hangars, it would be difficult for satellites to detect them. Let the Indian Air Force worry about it.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560348728939315764/

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