WZ-8 (drone)

WZ-8 (Chinese: 无侦-8; pinyin: Wú zhēn-bā; lit. 'unmanned recon-8'), is a hypersonic[1] unmanned aerial vehicle produced by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).[2] It was officially introduced on China's 70th anniversary military parade simply as a "strategic reconnaissance aircraft".

WZ-8
WZ-8 at the 2022 Zhuhai Airshow
Role Unmanned surveillance aircraft
National origin People's Republic of China
Manufacturer Aviation Industry Corporation of China
Introduction 1 October 2019
Status In service
Primary user People's Liberation Army Air Force

Design and development

WZ-8 was observed in Chinese Airforce experimental test bases by military analysts on satellite images.[3] The vehicle was revealed to the public on 1 October 2019 and was subsequently displayed at Zhuhai Airshow in 2021.[4]

WZ-8 is a supersonic-hypersonic, remotely operated, high-altitude reconnaissance vehicle. The aircraft bears some resemblance to the DF-17 hypersonic glide ballistic missile and the American Lockheed D-21 reconnaissance drone,[5] albeit different in overall dimensions, propulsions, and speed. The drone is launched by a 'mothership', such as Xi'an H-6K bomber, at its appropriate launch attitude. The WZ-8 then ignites its rocket motors, pushing the aircraft's speed to Mach 6 – Mach 7 (7,400–8,600 km/h).[6] The intended roles include general reconnaissance, pre-attack target assessment, and intelligence gathering. According to the manufacturer claims, the drone can reach hypersonic speed at the cruise altitude of 50,000 metres (160,000 ft),[7] at near-space level.[8] The drone's high altitude and speed allow it to fill up intelligence needs in a combat environment where satellite support is unsustainable,[9] such as repeated fly-over above specific areas of interest.[5]

Operators

 China

Specifications

Data from Xinhua News[10]

General characteristics

  • Crew: None
  • Length: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan: 6.7 m (22 ft 0 in)
  • Height: 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
  • Powerplant: 2 × YF50 rocket motor

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 7,408–8,643 km/h (4,603–5,371 mph, 4,000–4,667 kn) Mach 6 to Mach 7
  • Service ceiling: 50,000 m (160,000 ft)

See also

References
  1. "China Fields the World's Only Hypersonic Military Aircraft: What is the WZ-8 Capable Of?". Military Watch Magazine. 5 December 2021.
  2. "Cloud Shadow Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)". Airforce Technology. Airforce Technology.
  3. Rogoway, Tyler (16 September 2019). "China Appears Set To Unveil Very High-Speed Drone During Big Military Parade In Beijing". The Drive.
  4. Arthur, Gordon (30 September 2021). "China shows smorgasbord of innovative UAVs in Zhuhai". Shephard Media.
  5. "WZ-8 / BZK-008 CH-91 Hypersonic Drone Testbed". globalsecurity.
  6. "Why China's New WZ-8 Hypersonic Surveillance Drone is Very Bad News for the U.S. Navy". Military Watch Magazine. 1 October 2019.
  7. "无侦-8：中国首款"太空无人机"，速度6马赫，飞行高度可达50000米_腾讯新闻". Tencent News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  8. Yeo, Mike (30 September 2021). "Chinese airshow offers glimpse at military's new drones". Defense News.
  9. Rogoway, Tyler (1 December 2019). "China's High-Speed Drone Is Rocket-Powered And All About Doing What Satellites Can't". The Drive.
  10. "歼20性能数据首次披露：最大飞行速度2马赫". Xinhua (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
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