Recently, a picture taken by a satellite of the Malan Base in Xinjiang has been hyped by foreign media, causing widespread attention in Western military circles. In the image, a giant stealth drone with a wingspan of about 52 meters is parked outside a specially built large hangar, showcasing China's new achievements in the development of stealth drones through its massive flying wing outline. This drone, which adopts a flying wing configuration, is impressively large in size. For comparison, the wingspan of the U.S. B-2 "Spirit" bomber is 52.41 meters, while that of the U.S.'s newest B-21 "Raider" bomber is only 48 meters. It is worth noting that this is not the rumored H-20 strategic bomber but rather a high-altitude, long-endurance stealth drone. Its scale is quite rare in the history of drone development. [Image] Malan Base holds a special status as a frontier for Chinese drone research and development. Satellite images show that the base has recently constructed a dense cluster of highly secure hangars, including various sizes of hangar bays such as 70 meters, 50 meters, 20 meters, and 15 meters. These facilities began construction over two years ago and share design features similar to those of the B-2 bomber shelters at Whiteman Air Force Base in the United States. For a long time, many advanced Chinese drones have been unveiled here. In early 2024, French media released satellite photos showing several drones, including the Rainbow-5, EA-03 (Chengfei "Xianglong" drone), and Rainbow-3, on the tarmac at Malan Base, along with a mysterious drone suspected of possessing hypersonic flight capabilities. As early as 2018, Jane's Defence Weekly reported the deployment of Shenfei's "Divine Eagle" drone at Malan Base. According to related reports, the "Divine Eagle" drone can detect F-22 aircraft from 500 kilometers away and can carry high-performance radar for early warning missions. [Image] In recent years, China's stealth drone technology has continued to make new progress. At the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow, multiple stealth flying-wing drones, such as the Rainbow-7 and Feihong-97A, were displayed collectively, demonstrating China's strength in the field of advanced drone technology. From the satellite image, this new drone has distinct features. Its overall design is more slender than that of the B-21. The planform shape is similar to that of the B-21, but with a smaller sweep angle, indicating that high-altitude cruising capability is an important design goal. The drone is suspected to be equipped with small inclined vertical tails, a design that has drawn attention. Large flying wing designs often face stability issues, and these small tails could help address this problem, reflecting China's engineers' exploration and breakthroughs in addressing inherent defects in the flying wing layout. Its barrel-shaped structure may be used to accommodate a high-power sensor system or satellite communication equipment. Combined with the detection capabilities already demonstrated by China on the "Divine Eagle" drone, the detection performance of this larger platform is worth looking forward to. The emergence of this giant drone could potentially impact the military situation in the Western Pacific. Against the backdrop of China's large number of ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles, discovering and destroying targets requires the end-stage precision guidance or situational awareness provided by long-range stealth drones. In short, the existence of this drone may be a key element in disrupting tactical systems against U.S. vessels and deep-sea facilities in the Pacific. Compared to manned strategic bombers, stealth drones offer cost advantages. For example, it is speculated that the production cost of the Rainbow-7 is only $10 million, whereas the unit price of the U.S. B-2 bomber is as high as $2.4 billion. This huge cost difference gives China an advantage in mass-producing and deploying drones. Additionally, China's stealth drones are designed to adapt to diverse operational environments. Previously, the Rainbow-7 has demonstrated the ability to coordinate operations with ocean-going fleets, showcasing potential for flexible global deployment. [Image] The newly exposed giant drone does not exist in isolation but is an organic component of China's next-generation air combat system. Satellite image analysis shows that the new facilities at Malan Base are likely to be a test center for China's next-generation air combat ecosystem. This aligns with the U.S. Air Force's approach to developing next-generation air dominance and long-range strike systems. China is building a multi-layered stealth combat system where various models collaborate to form formidable combat capabilities. With the continuous advancement of China's stealth drone technology, future air combat rules may be redefined. From strategic bombing to tactical strikes, from reconnaissance and early warning to electronic countermeasures, China's drone lineup continues to expand, showcasing strong development potential. [Link] Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517597718563308072/ Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. Feel free to express your stance by clicking the "Like/Dislike" buttons below.