An additional 330,000 square metres (81.5 acres) of exhibition space will be set up near Zhuhai’s Lianzhou General Aviation Airport for drone display and roadshows, at a time when the technology appears central to the country’s military development.
The dedicated exhibition zone for drones, with both indoor and outdoors areas, would simulate combat scenarios with uncrewed aircraft and vessels, said Huang Zhihao, mayor of the host city.
He said performances would feature combinations of manned and uncrewed platforms, on-site and long-distance, and onshore and at-sea operations.
While drones have emerged as a focal point, the potential debut of domestically developed traditional weapons is also being watched closely.
Yu Qingjiang, deputy commander of the PLA Air Force, said some military equipment for air-to-air strikes, drone and counter-drone combat, strategic projection and airdrop, and air defence systems would make their first public appearances at the air show.
“The new types of fighter jets that the air force has been developing in recent years will [also] be showcased publicly [on air] to demonstrate the force’s long-distance strategic projection and air strike capabilities,” Yu said, without naming specific models.
A series of counter-drone systems will appear in the air show – some for the first time – as representatives of the country’s major arms producers pointed out the growing attention on, and need for, such systems.
Defence giant China Electronics Technology Group, which has been testing a drone swarming strategy, will debut its new three-sided array low-altitude monitoring radar defence system and advanced laser weapons, according to group spokesman Wang Kun.
Another drone developer, China South Industries Group Corporation, will present a variety of counter-drone systems in the air show, according to Lan Yong, an executive of the group’s military product branch.
“Counter-drones and counter-swarms [solutions] are still a challenge … so we believe [the systems] will be a highlight,” he said.
Liu Shuangxia, a spokeswoman for China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, said CASIC would showcase an “upgraded counter-drone system” incorporating means such as terminal defence missiles, micro-missiles and lasers.
Sections featuring enterprises from France, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States will be set up at the air show, which seeks to attract more international visitors and will allow overseas ticket purchases for the first time.
It will also see the return of the Russian Knights aerobatic demonstration team to its roadshow after eight years.
Source: South China Morning Post
