31 May 2015

DIVINE EAGLE, CHINA'S ENORMOUS STEALTH HUNTING DRONE, TAKES SHAPE


The Divine Eagle is a low observable, high altitude UAV meant detect stealth aircraft at long ranges, using special purpose radars.Photos have emerged of the Divine Eagle, perhaps China's most ambitious drone design. Planned to hunt stealth planes from afar, it could turn out to be not just the world's largest drone, but one of the most important to the future of war.


While this might look like two UAVs, it's actually one. The Divine Eagle uses a twin fuselage configuration, in order to optimize both fuel efficiency and maximize surface area for the installation of conformal radar arrays.While the Divine Eagle reportedly first flew in February 2015, filtered photos of the UAV have only now emerged on the Chinese Internet (filtering photos to blur visual details is one way Chinese Internet denizens avoid censorship). The timing is notable. Coming shorty after the release of the first Chinese defense White Paper calling for Chinese military expeditionary capabilities and high profile Sino-Russian naval exercises, the Divine Eagle is a visual announcement that China's building unique technologies that could change the brewing arms race in the Asia Pacific.

Compared to original design concepts, the Divine Eagle prototype has less stealthy features, such as conventional vertical stabilizers (upright tailfins), and an unshielded engine intake located in between the tailfins.The details on the photo confirm that the Divine Eagle is a single engine, twin bodied aircraft with two large vertical stabilizers (tails). Compared to the initial concept art and drawings available in February, the latest Divine Eagle iteration is less stealthy, having two satellite communications domes, completely vertical tails and an exposed engine intake. Determining the Divine Eagle's size is difficult, but assuming that the fuselage has a diameter of 1.2-1.5 meters (large enough to accommodate stealth detecting X-band radars), the photo suggests a fuselage height to length ratio of 1:12, giving a probable length of 14.4 meters to 18 meters. Gauging the wingspan is more difficult, but it may likely be 40-50 meters in width.



The 7 radars include a X/UHF AMTI Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar on the front, two X/UHF AMTI/SAR/GMTI AESA radars on the twin booms, two X/UHF AMTI AESA radars on either side of the engine nozzles, and two more radars on the end of the booms. AMTI and GMTI radars are used for tracking air and surface targets, respectively, while SAR is used to provide detailed imagines of ground targets like bases and infrastructure.The Divine Eagle is planned to carry multiple Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, of the AMTI, SAR and GMTI varities. Airborne Moving Target Indicator (AMTI) radar types are used to track airborne targets, like enemy fighters and cruise missiles. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) provides high resolution of slow moving ground vehicles and enemy bases. Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radars are ideal for identifying and tracking ships, such as aircraft carriers. X/UHF band radars, which include the "F-22 killer" JY-26 that debuted at Zhuhai 2014, have raised concerns in the American military that they could track stealth aircraft like the F-35 fighter and B-2 bomber at long ranges.

The offensive applications of the Divine Eagle are demonstrated here, as two Divine Eagles mark out not just the enemy aircraft carrier, but also its escorting warships and aviation wing, while vectoring friendly aircraft and ships into combat. One presumes that the Divine Eagle would also be able to find targets for the infamous DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile.As a High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) UAV, the Divine Eagle would prove incredibly useful in both offensive and defensive operations. Its long range anti-stealth capabilities can be used against both aircraft, like the B-2 bomber, and warships such as the DDG-1000 destroyer. Using the Divine Eagle as a picket, the Chinese air force could quickly intercept stealthy enemy aircraft, missiles and ships well before they come in range of the Mainland. Flying high, the Divine Eagle could also detect anti-ship missile trucks and air defenses on land, in preparation for offensive Chinese action.


The JY-26 "Skywatch" AESA Radar, operates in the long wave band to detect stealth aircraft, which are often optimized against detection by shorter wavelenghts. The JY-26 is claimed to have a range of 500km and Chinese media claimed it detected F-22 Raptor fighters off the South Korean coast in mid 2014. The Divine Eagle is likely to have similar radar technology to detect stealth bomber and fighters at long range.

The Divine Eagle is part of a larger Chinese trend in building high technology, unique systems that respond to US plans for Air Sea Battle and "Offsets. They extend the reach of the PLA and meet the needs of the PLA to both break through the anti-access response plans of opponents, while also defending against hostile power projection. As a recent article by one of our team notes, as these capabilities become real, they could undercut key assumptions behind the entire US strategy of deference in the Pacific http://warontherocks.com/2015/05/short-legs-cant-win-arms-races-range-issues-new-threats-aerial-refueling/

The An-178, a larger cargo version of the An-148 jetliner, is Ukraine's newest aircraft, and with luck and determination, first Chinese privately made cargo plane.On May 7, 2015, Ukraine rolled out a new tactical cargo plane, the An-178, for an one hour test flight. What makes it notable to Eastern Arsenal is that while designed and built by the Antonov Corporation, the An-178 may be be license produced in China. Even more notable, Antonov's Chinese partner, the Beijing A-Star Airspace and Technology Corporation, a Chinese company with no link to state owned aviation giants AVIC or COMAC. Beijing A-Star is currently in talks with Antonov to license produce the An-178 in China, and may directly buy two An-178s from Ukraine.


The An-178's first flight in May 2015 was for one hour. Despite an ongoing war and financial difficulty, Antonov, Ukraine's aircraft design bureau, is staking its fortunes on selling the An-178 aboard, including to China.The twin jet engine An-178 can cruise 13,000 meters above the ground at a speed of about 800km per hour. It can carry 18 ton payload, which is about the size of an armored personel carrier, or 99 troops in its pressurized cargo hold and has a range of 4,000 km for a 10 ton payload. The An-178 is much smaller than China's heavy Y-20 cargo plane, but its lower cost and smaller logistical footprint gives it flexibility for flying tactical and relief missions to underdeveloped regions, like Nepal. It's also about 33% faster than the turboprop Y-9, which is China's contemporary tactical cargo plane.

At the May 7th maiden flight of the An-178 cargo plane, Chinese and Antonov's officials sign memorandums of understanding. Beijing A-Star Airspace and Technology Company has big plans to buy 2 An-178s and license produce the cargo planes in China.Chinese interest in the An-178 is noteworthy for two reasons. If successful, Antonov's partnership with Beijing A-Star in building and selling Chinese military An-178s would break the monopoly of state owned defense contractors like AVIC and NORINCO on PLA procurement. While a newcomer like Beijing A-Star would have to master the challenges of building a 60 ton cargo plane, Antonov's willingness to take that risk speaks to its commitment (and financial need) to sell the An-178 to foreign buyers like China. Antonov has also provided consulting and engineering support to Chinese cargo planes like the Y-20 and Y-9 in the past.


The An-178's 18 ton payload includes vehicles, pallet cargo, containers and airdropped packages.

The other reason is that, in addition to a faster tactical cargo capability, the An-178 would provide a more fuel efficient, longer ranged and faster aerial platform for Chinese prop powered special aircraft that currently conduct electronic warfare, aerial command, airborne warning and control, and psychological warfare. However, the An-178 would likely face stiff competition from the larger, domestic COMAC C919 jetliner to provide faster airframes for Chinese noncombat missions.

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