China’s Jiutian Drone Platform Stuns the World with 100 Suicide Drones

China has achieved the maiden test flight of its giant aerial drone carrier Jiu Tian and this was a big step in the unmanned combat of the nation.

The massive drone flew in the skies in the northwestern province of Shaanxi according to the state news agency Xinhua of China. The officials did not specify the date of the flight, but the test was reported to have been done successfully. The First Aircraft Institute of AVIC which is a state-owned aerospace company in China has developed the drone.

Jiu Tian is an advanced and automated integrated technology designed aircraft with several high-performance capabilities such as high payload capacity, long-endurance flight, long range of operation and short takeoff and landing capabilities.

The drone carrier was first displaying at the 2024 Zhuhai Air Show, and has the capacity of carrying up to 100 loitering munitions, or suicide drones as they are more often called, which can be launched at a location at either side at designated locations on each side. Besides this, it is capable of transporting various weapons and mission equipment on the eight hardpoints it has, thus it can be used in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and electronic warfare operations.

According to military experts, the new system may dramatically change the nature of wars in the future. The Chinese defense analyst Song Zhongping referred to Jiu Tian as a veritable drone carrier, saying that its capability of providing massive swarm attacks would be a significant threat to the modern air defense framework.