China will im Krieg der Drohnen mitmischen

Peking will Trends in der technischen Kriegsführung offensichtlich nicht verpassen und hat daher auf einer Flugschau im südchinesischen Zhuhai eine ganze Reihe an militärisch nutzbaren Drohnen vorgestellt, wie das Wall Street Journal berichtet:

Western defense officials and experts were surprised to see more than 25 different Chinese models of the unmanned aircraft, known as UAVs, on display at this week's Zhuhai air show in this southern Chinese city. It was a record number for a country that unveiled its first concept UAVs at the same air show only four years ago, and put a handful on display at the last one in 2008. The apparent progress in UAVs is a stark sign of China's ambition to upgrade its massive military as its global political and economic clout grows. ... This year's models in Zhuhai included several designed to fire missiles, and one powered by a jet engine, meaning it could—in theory—fly faster than the propeller-powered Predator and Reaper drones that the U.S. has used in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. ... ASN Technology's ASN-229A Reconnaissance and Precise Attack UAV, the largest drone at the show, carries air-to ground missiles and uses a satellite link to find targets over a radius of 2,000 kilometers 1,250 miles.