UAVs are an indispensable piece of equipment in modern warfare, and they can perform a variety of tasks such as reconnaissance, strike, and jamming, improving combat effectiveness and security. The United States is a leader in unmanned aerial vehicles, and its Global Hawk UAV is considered the most advanced high-altitude long-endurance reconnaissance drone capable of continuous surveillance around the globe.
However, China is not far behind, and its drone technology has also made great strides, not only with the Xianglong drone, which is comparable to the Global Hawk, but also the unique Wuzhan 8 drone. Wuzhan 8 is a high-altitude and high-speed reconnaissance UAV independently developed by China, its performance and characteristics are unique in the world, it can shuttle freely over the enemy's air defense network, so that the United States has nothing to do, how powerful is Wuzhan 8?
China's UAV level has reached the world-class level, whether it is the attack 11 UAV, Xianglong UAV, etc., are high-end products, demonstrating China's innovation ability.
If China's UAVs are already at the forefront of the world, then Wuzhan 8 is the best in the frontier. The design of the Wuzhan 8 is very unique, it does not adopt the usual vertical tail or flat tail structure, but adopts a vertical tail structure, similar to the American B2** bomber.
The function of the vertical tail is to help the aircraft adjust its attitude and improve maneuverability. However, the vertical tail will also increase the radar reflection area and reduce stealth. Therefore, aircraft without vertical tails need to have a more advanced flight control system to achieve steering by fine-tuning various parts of the aircraft. The B2 bomber did just that, but it was poorly maneuverable and, once detected, could easily be shot down.
The flight control system of the Wuzhan 8 should be more advanced than that of the B2, its wings and tail are almost integrated, and the side wings are slightly cocked, these details increase the controllability of the aircraft, which can play a role in replacing the vertical tail.
Another striking feature of the design of the Wuzhen 8 is that it does not have air intakes. Ordinary aircraft need to draw oxygen from the atmosphere to meet the combustion needs of the engine. However, the engine of the Wuzhen 8 is a rocket engine, which does not need oxygen from the outside, but carries its own oxidizer and supplies oxygen from the inside.
The advantage of not having an air intake is that it can make the shape of the aircraft more integral, reduce the radar reflection area and infrared signature, and improve stealth. Moreover, Wuzhan 8 generally flies in near space above 30,000 meters, where the atmosphere is very thin, and it is difficult to absorb enough oxygen even if there is an air intake, so it is a more reasonable choice to bring its own oxidant.
The Wuzhan 8 not only flies high, but also flies fast, it is said that its cruising speed is Mach 3, and the maximum speed can reach Mach 5 to 6, which is already close to the hypersonic category. However, due to the use of rocket engines, the Wuzhan 8 should not be able to take off on its own, but needs to be carried by an air platform. For example, our H-6 bomber is a good platform, and its load and inner cabin structure are very compatible with the Wuzhan 8.
Wu Zhan 8 can be said to be invincible in the eastern coastal areas of our country, on the one hand, it is difficult to be discovered by the enemy. Its surface is coated with a special absorbing material that reduces the reflection of radar waves. It is small in size and has a weak radar signature, which is difficult to detect by ordinary radar. It also hides above the thick clouds, taking advantage of the interference of the clouds with radar waves to make itself ghost-like.
On the other hand, even if it is discovered, it is difficult to be hit. Like the early Patriot missiles in the United States, they could neither hit an altitude of more than 30,000 meters, nor could they catch up with the speed of Mach 5. Although the latest Patriot 3 missile can be hit and chased, the Wuzhan 8 is very maneuverable and difficult to lock, let alone shoot down. Moreover, once the threat is perceived, the Wuzhan 8 can quickly withdraw from the enemy's air defense range and come and go freely.
Of course, the most troublesome thing for the United States is the reconnaissance capability of the Wuzhan 8, which can be loaded with all kinds of advanced reconnaissance equipment, including photoelectric detection, electronic reconnaissance, synthetic aperture radar, and so on. In the event of a war on the eastern seaboard, our Wuzhan 8 will be able to fly freely in the sky and have a clear grasp of the situation in a large area. According to this line of thought, the entire "first island chain" is in the field of vision of the PLA, and the US aircraft carriers have nowhere to hide.
As soon as the aircraft carrier is detected at sea, it will face a fatal blow from our missiles, and at the speed of 30 knots of the aircraft carrier formation, it is simply impossible to dodge. As an extension of China's satellite reconnaissance capability, the design of the Wuzhan 8 is not only excellent, but also advanced, and it is believed that it will be China's "artifact" for a long time to come, giving full play to the role of protecting the country and defending the country.