New Xianglongs on the Way

By Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer
July 15, 2016

The Xianglong "Soar Dragon" UAV, one of the more distinct looking
drones in the world, is now in serial production. Built by the Guizhou
Aircraft Corporation, is one of China's largest UAVs. Its unique
"closed" tandem wings (giving it a diamond shape when viewed from above
or below) are not just for show. They increase its flight endurance and
high altitude performance by reducing wingtip drag. A July 2016 picture
showing a JL-9 trainer jet at GAC assembly plant had three Xianglong
UAVs in the background, in various states of completion.

The Xianglong gives China a large UAV capability in the category of the
US made RQ-4 Global Hawk. Surpassed only in size by the Divine Eagle
double bodied UAV, it is about twelve meters in length, with a twenty
meter wingspan and a 10-12 ton maximum takeoff weight (measurements are
all approximations). The operational Xianglong is likely to be used for
emaritime surveillance of foreign bases and warships, as part of the
anti-access/area denial kill chain. Its long flight time and large
sensor payload, in particular, could allow it to follow aircraft
carriers, while vacuuming up a wealth of data, for extended periods of time.

The system might also move beyond a surveillance role. Chinese
engineers have noted that the Xianglong's large payload, endurance and
range makes it ideal for electronic warfare (EW) missions, both for
gathering intelligence on electronic activity, as well as carrying
jammers to disrupt enemy radars and datalinks. In wartime, the
Xianglong's high altitude jammers would seek to disrupt not only the
radars of enemy fighters and missiles, but also jam and spoof
communications between enemy bombers, airborne early warning and
control aircraft, drones and even datalinks between satellites, ships,
land based missile launchers and missiles. in such role, the EW
Xianglong would operate alongside a host of other Chinese EW aircraft,
including Y-9 heavy transport jammers, J-16 and JH-7 strike aircraft,
in both offensive and defensive operations.

With American "Third Offset" military technologies emphasizing networked communications and data sharing between distant platforms, China's response is soaring in response.

http://www.popsci.com/soar-eagle-chinas-coolest-looking-drone-enters-production

Another Big Bird