Sky Wing / Tianyi UAV

The Chinese Tianjin Zhongwei Aerospace Data System Technology is working on a new type of attack drone that can carry out targeted attacks on specific people or vehicles in an urban environment. To this end, the drone is equipped with two 50 mm rockets, which can be fired from a distance. The Tianyi, as the drone is called, may eventually also become available to foreign buyers.

According to developer, the drone is primarily intended for anti-terrorism actions and operations carried out by specialized armed forces. As far as is known, the Tianyi is the first military attack drone developed specifically for urban warfare missions. This shift toward airborne drones for infantry support could mean that China�s �ground� drones could reach the fight sooner than America�s.

Both Russia and the United States have made great leaps in recent years in their efforts to field infantry robots to support ground troops. But despite these advances, infantry support drones continue to lag well behind their airborne counterparts. Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) have already proven so effective that they�ve completely changed America�s approach to warfare.

The basis of the killer drone is formed by a military-grade quadcopter. The drone can be controlled by soldiers on the ground up to a distance of 5 km. Thanks to infrared and laser detectors, the drone can be used both in the daytime and at night in urban areas. Drone developer, Tianjin Zhongwei Aerospace Data System Technology, stated that drones are well-suited for �asymmetric combat, counterterrorism and special forces [operations] and street battles.�

In addition to gathering information, the drone can also be used to disable targets. For this purpose the drone is equipped with two 50 mm rocket launchers. These have a range of 1 km. It is also possible to focus on targets that are behind glass. In this way, people who find themselves in buildings are also not safe for the drone.

It is still unclear whether the People's Liberation Army wants to deploy the drones, but eight military expert Song Zhongping is likely to do so. The developer also wants to offer the drone for sale to foreign buyers, reports the South China Morning Post.