"Flying grenade" with artificial intelligence
"Flying grenade" in transport position
Chinese industry is actively developing the production of various unmanned aerial vehicles, including loitering munitions. Recently, a “flying grenade” was created - a compact and lightweight model intended for arming infantry and special forces. This product has a number of interesting features that may attract the attention of potential customers.
Military and civilian
Currently, under the auspices of the Communist Party of China, the “Military-Civil Fusion” strategy is being implemented. Its goal is to improve interaction between the defense and civilian industries, exchange experience and technology.
The private company Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology, based in Changsha, Hunan Province, is participating in the implementation of this strategy. Recently the company presented its new development - the so-called. "flying grenade"
It is lightweight and compact UAV, intended for use by fighters of various units. It is proposed to be used as a more effective replacement for a hand grenade in situations where the target is too far away or obstructed.
In its new project, Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology used a number of modern technologies that are widely used in the civilian sector. The hardware and software part of the drone was built on their basis. As a result, it was possible to obtain special capabilities that not all modern drones have.
The UAV is ready to fly
The “flying grenade” already exists in the form of real prototypes. The first tests were carried out, including with the participation of potential operators. The new product was tested by the Chinese military at a training ground where they launched drones and attacked a training target.
The current state of the project and its prospects remain unknown. Perhaps the development company will be able to interest the People's Liberation Army or security forces, which will then place an order for production.
Quadcopter grenade
The loitering munition from Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology is built according to a quadcopter design. It received a specific layout that allows you to place all the necessary components in the limited space of the case.
In the transport position, the “flying grenade” has the shape of a cylinder with a height of about 250-300 mm and a diameter of approximately 50-70 mm. The weight of the product is only 600 g.
The drone is built in a plastic cylindrical body with hemispherical covers at the ends. There are four longitudinal recesses in the side surface of the cylinder to accommodate beams with propeller-motor groups. When moving to the working position, the beams open under the action of springs, forming an X-shaped structure.
The video camera has been moved forward for a better downward view
The “flying grenade” is equipped with compact and low-power electric motors of an unnamed type. The motors are powered by a battery of limited capacity, providing several minutes of flight. The flight characteristics of the drone have not yet been disclosed.
It is reported that the UAV has a control system with two operating modes. In the first mode, it executes commands from an operator using a standard control panel. The second mode is partially autonomous. The operator must find the target and take it into automatic tracking, after which the UAV independently flies towards it and explodes.
For observation during flight and searching for targets, a video camera is used, located in the upper hemispherical cover. The base of the camera is movable and moves it in a vertical plane. Due to this, the drone can “look” both forward and down.
In terms of combat qualities, loitering ammunition is comparable to existing hand grenades. It carries an explosive charge weighing no more than tens of grams. Perhaps the warhead has a body that breaks into fragments. In the published videos after the explosion, only fragments of the UAV are visible, and it will not be possible to study its warhead in detail.
The combat crew of the “flying grenade” consists of only one operator, who must carry up to 10 drones and a control panel. If necessary, the operator can move one of the drones into a working position and send it for reconnaissance or attack.
Flight to the target, filming through the standard UAV camera
Great future
The concept of loitering ammunition appeared and was successfully implemented quite a long time ago. Now modern systems of this class are actively used in real combat operations and demonstrate their potential in the fight against manpower, equipment and other targets.
One of the directions for the development of BB is the creation of small-sized kamikaze drones. These systems should be in service with small units and perform reconnaissance and strike missions within a radius of several hundred meters to several kilometers.
The “flying grenade”, developed by the Chinese company Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology, belongs to this class of weapons. The main goal of the project was to reduce the size of the UAV for greater user convenience. At the same time, the combat load was reduced to the level of hand grenades.
Despite the reduction in size, the loitering munition received fairly developed on-board electronics, capable of operating not only according to the operator’s commands. It has entered the narrow circle of modern systems that have elements of artificial intelligence and are capable of independent action.
Among the features of the Chinese BB / UAV, a camera on a rotating base should be noted. Thanks to this simple solution, the developers provided good visibility in horizontal flight and the ability to more accurately attack from a hover. Given the limited power of the warhead, such an opportunity would not be superfluous.
Detonation of a warhead
An important feature of the “grenade” is its limited size and weight. It is reported that an operator can carry a dozen of these products and use them in sequence. In this case, a detachment or unit may have several operators.
It is likely that the launch of each subsequent loitering munition is possible immediately after the previous one switches to autonomous control. In this case, a sufficiently high performance of the complex and a corresponding impact on the target will be ensured.
It should be noted that the loitering munition was created as part of the “Merger of Military and Civil” strategy. The new development is one of the proofs that the interpenetration of the two spheres is not only possible, but also capable of producing very interesting and useful results.
Interim results
Thanks to the joint efforts of various organizations and enterprises, China is becoming a world leader in the production of a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles. aviation systems Both the defense industry and civilian private companies are involved in the creation of such equipment.
New organizations are constantly joining the development of UAVs, including those that have no experience in this area, but have other useful competencies. Some of them implement the most daring ideas, and the resulting product attracts attention, such as the recently introduced “flying grenade”.
However, Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology has yet to put its product through all stages of testing and confirm its compliance with the requirements of the PLA and security forces. If the grenade drone does not pass these tests, it will not be able to enter service and will remain in stories as another interesting but useless project.
Information