Lankan Ranger
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China conducts test flight of "V750" pilotless helicopter
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I wonder if they will apply the RCS reduction plate on its rotor like the downed blackhawk and perhaps using similar materials too?
I can see the future of combat aviation being pilotless more and more now
If they could apply RCS reduction technologies to the WZ-10 and WZ-19, they can probably do it to the V750 as well. However, I do believe that the PLA tested the Tianyan-2 unmanned helicopter a few years back that is able to "drop bombs" with precision.
Yes they can apply it on all. However, I still see the future being pilotless simply by witnessing the trend of aviation combat and it makes sense too.
We don't have to risk the lives of our servicemen; have the option to launch them pilotless drones and helos from ships, pulling up more a +g maneuvers, safely carry out silent recon, air or ground combat support operations. It is also the safer and less costly way to counter future laser and missile defense systems.
It will cost. And it will cost a lot. I don't think the PLA can afford to have the bulk of its future force unmanned. We have more servicemen than money. I also don't see how silent helicopters can counter laser and missile defenses. Stealth unmanned helicopters are not strategic weapons.
We do have many servicemen. That doesn't mean they cannot be tasked on different things as we continue to modernise our military.
In defense, everything is costly and easily run into millions. As these technologies mature, it will only become cheaper. It is better to lose a single equipment alone than to lose both equipment and lives.
I was talking about both unmanned drones and helos. Helos lacks capabilities that drones have to penetrate defense systems, but it can be used as a strategic weapon surely. Not to mention, these are only going to be part of what we have. They will most likely conduct joint operations with the many options that we have. Warfare is and will continue to be network centric.
Development programs for full scale stealthy helicopters will cost money and engineers. We don't have that many men to take on so many projects simultaneously, especially when there are more urgent and useful areas, such as laser weapons, anti satellite and anti ballistic missile defense, etc.
Losing equipment you can easily replace is always better than losing one equipment which you can not. Stealth helicopters will cost a lot and they are basically sitting ducks in battle. In WWII, the Americans built an aircraft carrier each month while Japan could not build any more carriers. That was a huge deciding factor in the battle of the Pacific.
Drones in my opinion can achieve much a stealthier approach than helicopters can (less moving parts, better fuselage shaping, generally more sleek design). That's why you never saw a large number of stealthy helicopters enter US service. Drones can achieve everything a helicopter can (apart from deploying men) but at a greater extent.Helicopters don't have the range drones can and certainly do not carry the same firepower.
China currently has two major heavy combat drones: the Shenyang Darksword and Shenyang Combat Eagle. One of those, according to peishens from CJDBY, will be unveiled this year. I have no doubt that the US and China possesses the technology to develop stealth or unmanned helicopters, but neither of them seem to be focusing much on them.