The national level mobile observation business has officially started, and two high-altitude large unmanned aerial vehicles, Haiyan 1 and Haiyan II, manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, have been delivered. The Haiyan I unmanned aerial vehicle is an adaptation improvement from the Wing Dragon 10 jet unmanned aerial vehicle, while the Haiyan II unmanned aerial vehicle is an adaptation improvement from the Wing Dragon 2 unmanned aerial vehicle

The national level mobile observation business has officially started, and two high-altitude large unmanned aerial vehicles, Haiyan 1 and Haiyan II, manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, have been delivered. The Haiyan I unmanned aerial vehicle is an adaptation improvement from the Wing Dragon 10 jet unmanned aerial vehicle, while the Haiyan II unmanned aerial vehicle is an adaptation improvement from the Wing Dragon 2 unmanned aerial vehicle.

These two aircraft have characteristics such as strong operational capabilities in complex environments, and are equipped with meteorological payloads such as airborne drop sounding systems. They can continuously detect atmospheric vertical profiles in specific environments, solve the problem of blank meteorological data areas and insufficient observation data in complex environments, and observe important weather processes such as the Southwest Vortex, plateau meteorology, oceans, typhoons, and weather sensitive areas Provide first-hand meteorological information for emergency response support and meteorological disaster prevention, reduction, and relief.

(Jet powered pterosaur 10 drone)

Both aircraft perform similar tasks, but the difference lies in their flight performance. The Haiyan I-type unmanned aerial vehicle has the ability to perform high-speed and high-altitude flight missions, with a maximum flight speed of 620 kilometers per hour, an altitude of 14 kilometers, and a flight time of 5 hours. The Haiyan Type II unmanned aerial vehicle has the ability to perform long endurance and long-range flight missions, with a maximum flight speed of 370 kilometers per hour, an elevation of 9 kilometers, and a flight time of more than 10 hours. Obviously, the Haiyan I type is suitable for high-altitude high-speed missions, while the Haiyan II type is suitable for long endurance missions.

(Wing Dragon 2 UAV powered by turboprop)

The advantages of unmanned aerial vehicles performing meteorological detection

In the past, China's meteorological observation basically used fixed platform measurement and control, with less aircraft or ship measurement and control. Because the biggest challenge lies in the high velocity of air/sea currents in complex weather conditions, which poses a high risk for platform detection and can lead to accidents due to adverse factors such as strong winds or waves, lightning, etc. Rescue in adverse weather conditions is particularly difficult, thus greatly limiting the use of manned aircraft or ships.

The biggest advantage of using drones to perform tasks is that there are no pilots and there is no need to worry about personnel loss. It can approach the center of a vortex typhoon as close as possible. The airflow detection buoy on the drone can be projected from high altitude. During the continuous descent of the airflow, the buoy can quickly record the parameters of the airflow, such as height, velocity, rotational angular velocity, temperature, humidity, etc., and automatically transmit them to the drone. The drone then forwards them to the ground station in real time for scientific researchers to process the data.

(The United States relies on large planes to venture close to typhoons and collect detailed data, which poses a very high risk)

Another advantage of using drones is that they are cheap, and the carrier price and usage cost of drones are one-tenth or even a fraction of those of manned drones. Users have very little economic pressure and are easy to bear. And after using drones, it can quickly adjust the aircraft for detection on a large scale, respond quickly to task notifications, have a short preparation time, and be able to rush to the destination to execute tasks in the fastest and shortest possible time. The Haiyan drones can also be equipped with satellite antennas, allowing for remote control and data transmission from thousands of kilometers away without any problems.

(The cost of drone flight in the United States is over $3000 per hour, and manned military aircraft can easily reach tens of thousands)

The conversion of drones into meteorological aircraft benefits both military and civilians

China has a vast territory and complex climate, and disasters such as rainstorm, earthquake and typhoon are emerging in endlessly. In order to better cope with natural disasters, China must do a good job in weather forecasting, and has also established a large number of weather stations, but this is far from enough. Relying solely on ground stations, there is still a lack of close data support for the occurrence and development of adverse weather conditions. Therefore, using drones to detect weather is currently the most efficient and economical approach.

(Floods, landslides, mudslides, all related to precipitation)

In fact, the meteorological detection of the Haiyan unmanned aerial vehicle is not only beneficial for civilian use, but also of great significance for the military field. In the past, there was insufficient detection data, and the safety restrictions on military aircraft from harsh conditions such as typhoons were too strict, which may not necessarily be in line with reality. With drone detection, detailed information about typhoons or other harsh weather can be obtained, and some accurate development and change patterns can be obtained, which has great significance for practical combat.

(People's Liberation Army fighter jets fly under rainy and snowy conditions)

All weather fighter planes, also afraid of bad weather

In the 1980s, China had all-weather fighter jets that could launch attacks under various weather conditions. This all-weather fighter has made significant progress compared to previous daytime fighter jets, but there are also some limitations. All weather refers to being able to take off and land under day and night and complex conditions, but it does not mean that it can take off regardless of the weather, and some extreme weather conditions also need to be avoided. For example, in extreme weather conditions such as heavy fog, sandstorms, and typhoons, aircraft are generally unable to carry them hard and can only hide or run. In recent years, a certain US air force base has been hit by hurricanes, and the hangar has collapsed, resulting in the loss of a large number of advanced stealth aircraft.

(The US F-22 hid in the hangar during the typhoon)

Under strong winds and vertical downdraft, the operation of fighter planes is also severely affected, making it easy for them to lose control of flight and fall to the ground, making missile launches unsafe, and machine gun firing seriously deviating from the predetermined trajectory; If the cloud height is too low, it is easy to cause a huge deviation in reconnaissance shooting and ammunition delivery; Cumulonimbus clouds have a significant impact on flight safety and missile launch, so try to avoid these areas as much as possible.

And high-altitude weather also has a significant impact on the accuracy of long-range weapons. If local airflow movement data and patterns can be accurately grasped, more accurate meteorological elements can be loaded before long-range artillery and rocket launchers are launched, resulting in more accurate trajectory and multiple improvements in strike accuracy and efficiency. This is crucial for high-altitude mountain operations that rely on artillery for suppression.

With the assistance of these meteorological drones, China's mastery of plateau meteorological data and laws will inevitably become more refined, and it can play a much higher combat effectiveness than its opponents in wartime. The self-propelled artillery and rocket launchers deployed on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau can also perform better and more accurately in long-range strikes.

(PLA Rocket Launcher High Altitude Shooting)

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