An unnamed Chinese company has unveiled a new kamikaze drone, unusually large, equipped with two gasoline engines and bearing similarities to the Shahed-136 Iranians, who now also manufacture Russia under the name Geranand the Harop of IsraelAccording to Chinese media reports, this long-range UAV can fly for 12 hourshas a range of 2,500 kilometersa maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour and draws attention to its use the same camouflage as the Russian 5th generation fighters, Su-57.
The choice of this camouflage may be due to various reasons, including the fact that they may be intended for the Russian Army. In 2023, China and Russia discussed the development of kamikaze UAV models with capabilities comparable to the Shaheed-136/Geran-2in terms of range and payload, and this could be the result. In any case, details about the PD-2900 are scarce.
China developed a 2-engine Shahed-like kamikaze UAV: PD-2900
Flight duration up to 12 hours, range up to 2500 km, speed of 200 km/h. pic.twitter.com/mvXYDprEyK
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 5, 2024
The war in Ukraine is changing many things in the military doctrines of the armies that have found a way to use drones. economical alternatives to other types of weapons such as cruise missilesthanks to the widespread availability of components and platforms on the civilian market. Both Russia and Ukraine have been using various types of loitering munitions to attack fixed positions that were out of range of artillery, but which did not justify the use of much more expensive missiles.
Among the known details of the PD-2900 is that it is built with carbon fiber and composite materials that provide it remarkable structural strength while minimizing overall weightIt also has the option of using a catapult or rocket-assisted takeoff for launch, allowing fully autonomous takeoff and landing, as well as autonomous flight along pre-planned routes.
The UAV can carry up to 100 kg of military equipment or devices during extended flights of up to 12 hours, thanks to a 160-litre explosion-proof fuel tank that allows it to reach 2,500 km.
Based on previous Chinese designs, the PD-2900 can provide real-time kinematic positioning, or RTK, for takeoff and landing, a post-processing kinematics, or PPK, function, auto-networking, auto-retransmission and anti-frequency hopping capabilities.
The design of the Chinese UAV is similar to what would be a dual-engine Shahed. It has advanced features, better aerodynamics, longer range and a payload capacity that is more than double that of the Shahed-136: 100 kg versus 40.