With American war planners increasingly prioritizing intricate networks to connect
all systems, the Chinese are developing new
technologies that could pose an equally significant threat through teamwork.
As of early 2023, China is completing a performance test on a new home-ground
set of electronic warfare and armed reconnaissance drones designed to
undertake combat missions in even the most complex battlefield environments.
Developed by the Fei Hong company, little is currently known about the
operational characteristics of these unmanned aerial vehicles. However,
sources suggest the FH-95 and FH-97 add a new dimension to China's warfare capabilities and
could have a highly significant impact if paired together in a potential future combat scenario.
Electronic warfare drones have the potential to devastate and disrupt American high-tech forces,
which rely heavily on intricate computer networks. If ever deployed en masse, these
devices could swarm over military installations, taking down radar and wireless communications.
If the reports about the new Chinese drone duo are accurate,
they have the potential to leave a country completely powerless and cause irreparable
damage to even the most state-of-the-art American systems in a matter of seconds...
Mystery Drone
In the summer of 2022, China unveiled the latest teaser trailer for its cutting-edge
warfare development: the Fei Hong 95 or FH-95 indigenously developed
electronic warfare and armed reconnaissance drone system.
Developed by the state-owned Aerospace Times Feihong Technology Co., not much is
known about its operational characteristics except that it is a medium and long-range,
all-weather, all-day multi-purpose platform.
According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation,
it also has a take-off weight of one ton and an endurance of over 24 hours and is
capable of carrying more than 550 pounds of various mission payloads.
The FH-95 has four weapon hardpoints and can carry GPS-guided munitions,
and it is also likely to have the capability to fire anti-radiation
missiles, as reported by Janes, a defense intelligence agency.
Electronic Warfare
According to Feihong Technology Company's General Manager and researcher, Chen Jianguo,
the most significant feature of the FH-95 drone is its electronic warfare capabilities.
In an interview with the Global Times during the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show, Jianguo claimed
that electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and early warning unmanned vehicles are:
[QUOTE] "Essential tools for future war as they can conduct remote detection outside the
defense area or tactical feint and saturated attack in coordination with manned aircraft."
The idea of using drones as electronic warfare platforms in post-modern battlefields is not new.
In the Ukraine conflict, Russia's Orlan-10 drone, developed by Special Technology Center,
carries specialized jammers designed to disrupt cell phone communications or even hack into
enemy cell phone towers. The drones have been massively deployed, with some being shot down.
Several reports suggest the FH-95 could serve as an early warning platform,
given the advancements in radar warning receiver components that
are becoming smaller and can be fitted onto lighter platforms.
According to a Beijing-based magazine, the FH-95 drone was delivered to a mysterious and
unnamed major client in 2019, followed by its first export contract in 2021.
Since then, the electronic warfare reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle has been
undergoing rigorous performance testing at a facility in the Northwest part of China.
Although much of the drone's details are being kept secret, the state-owned Global
Times newspaper reported that the new drone had passed a milestone test that proved its
incredible performance capabilities right before the promo video dropped.
Not long after, images of the Chinese drone were released to
the media showing two prototypes during the flight testing stage.
Then, during the 2021 Zhuhai Air Show in South China's Guangdong Province,
the drone was showcased alongside a powerful potential ally.
Dynamic Duo
The other drone presented at the Zhuhai Air Show was
the FH-97 medium-range high-speed stealth unmanned aerial vehicle.
Rumors suggest the new model will be a clone resembling the XQ-58A Valkyrie, an American model
made by Kratos for the United States Air Force’s Loyal Wingman concept to aid piloted aircraft.
Like its American counterpart, the FH-97 has a stealthy trapezoid-shaped fuselage
with an air intake located above it, sharply swept wings, and a V-shaped tail.
Designed for rapid long-distance reconnaissance,
strike, and surveillance missions, the drone can target critical enemy locations and facilities.
The FH-97, also made by the Feihong Company,
will have a weapons bay that can carry up to eight small, intelligent air-to-air missiles
and also pods with functions like radar, communications, and reconnaissance jamming,
as well as fuel tanks, extra missiles, and other precision-guided weapons.
In keeping with American emulation, the drone will also be able to carry the
FH-901 loitering munition, reportedly based on the United States-made switchblade drones
commonly used by the Ukrainian armed forces for specific strikes against the Russian military.
The FH-97 model could also be reconfigured for operations on vessels, with reserved space on
the UAV for a potential landing gear set strengthened tail hook.
And as a loyal wingman designed to accompany different aircraft,
the FH-97's airborne data link system has a multi-band format that is compatible
with various aircraft in active service, allowing for cross-platform interconnection.
All-American Interference
The FH-95 and FH-97 drones are often paired together due to
their complementary capabilities during live combat operations.
In one scenario, the FH-95 could deliver electromagnetic interference ahead of the
FH-97’s suppression of enemy air defense strikes.
In another, the roles could be reversed by using FH-97s as decoys to bait the enemy defenses into
revealing their positions. The FH-95 can then go in and take out the air defense radars using
anti-radiation missiles, significantly reducing the risk for manned fighter jet operations.
In the Global Times interview, Chen Jianguo added that UAVs like the FH-95 and FH-97:
[QUOTE] "Will be put into a complex battlefield environment in a future
war. In the face of enhanced missile systems that contain airborne early warning aircraft,
stealth fighter jets, and electronic warfare aircraft,
high-speed drones can largely increase battlefield survivability and penetration capability."
Another model, the FH-92A, a more traditional kind of armed
reconnaissance drone, can then conduct as many follow-up attacks as needed.
Ultimately, electronic drones could significantly affect the
modern battlefield. As relatively cheap and unmanned platforms,
they can fly into the most hazardous skies where sending human pilots would be riskier.
The Threat of Electronic Drones
The potential deployment of mass electronic warfare drones,
where hordes of small UAVs could disrupt radio, radar,
and cellular communications in seconds, could pose a significant threat to the United States,
where highly integrated operations connected by data networks are crucial for success.
One example is the Department of Defense’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control project,
which aims to connect all branches of the armed forces into one unified
network powered by artificial intelligence.
The ambitious program envisions a sensor-to-shooter system where drones
and other platforms can instantly relay target coordinates to long-range missiles,
allowing them to hit their targets within minutes.
According to Jianguo, if China becomes capable of jamming these American links during wartime,
it could profoundly impair US operations in infinite ways.
Whether America decides to counter the already in-development Chinese
drones or go another way to protect other promising projects remains to be seen.
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