In military applications, drones are divided into reconnaissance drones and target drones. In civilian applications, drones combined with industry-specific applications represent the true necessity of drones. Their uses in aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, miniature selfies, express delivery, disaster relief, wildlife observation, infectious disease monitoring, surveying, news reporting, power line inspection, disaster relief, film and television production, and even creating romantic moments have greatly expanded the applications of drones. Developed countries are also actively expanding industry applications and developing drone technology. In September 2018, the 62nd meeting of the Harmonized System Committee (HSC) of the World Customs Organization decided to classify drones as "flying cameras."
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unmanned aircraft controlled by radio remote control equipment and self-contained program control devices. UAVs are actually a general term for unmanned aerial vehicles, which can be divided into: unmanned fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft[3], unmanned airships, unmanned helicopters, unmanned multi-rotor aircraft, unmanned paragliders, etc. Compared with manned aircraft, they have advantages such as small size, low cost, easy use, low requirements for combat environment, and strong battlefield survivability. As unmanned aircraft are of great significance to future air combat, major military countries around the world are stepping up their research and development of unmanned aircraft. In November 2013, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CA) issued the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Pilots of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems", and the China AOPA Association is responsible for the relevant management of civil unmanned aircraft. According to the regulations, drone operations in mainland China can be divided into 11 categories based on drone size and airspace. Among them, only drones weighing more than 116 kg and airships with a volume of more than 4,600 cubic meters are managed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China for flights in the integrated airspace. Other categories, including the increasingly popular micro aerial photography drones, are managed by industry associations or are the responsibility of the operators themselves.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unmanned aircraft controlled by radio remote control equipment and self-contained program control devices. UAVs are actually a general term for unmanned aerial vehicles, which can be divided into: unmanned fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft[3], unmanned airships, unmanned helicopters, unmanned multi-rotor aircraft, unmanned paragliders, etc. Compared with manned aircraft, they have advantages such as small size, low cost, easy use, low requirements for combat environment, and strong battlefield survivability. As unmanned aircraft are of great significance to future air combat, major military countries around the world are stepping up their research and development of unmanned aircraft. In November 2013, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CA) issued the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Pilots of Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems", and the China AOPA Association is responsible for the relevant management of civil unmanned aircraft. According to the regulations, drone operations in mainland China can be divided into 11 categories based on drone size and airspace. Among them, only drones weighing more than 116 kg and airships with a volume of more than 4,600 cubic meters are managed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China for flights in the integrated airspace. Other categories, including the increasingly popular micro aerial photography drones, are managed by industry associations or are the responsibility of the operators themselves.
Reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a crucial component of current air combat forces. "Loyal wingmen" based on "manned/unmanned aircraft teaming technology" represent the future development direction of UAVs. UAV systems consist of numerous subsystems. The power plant is the heart of the UAV and also a relatively weak link in my country's UAV industry chain. Mission payloads are the combination of equipment installed to enable UAVs to complete specific tasks, determining their application value; they are diverse, mainly including imaging reconnaissance payloads, electronic warfare payloads, and weapon and ammunition payloads. The communication data link is the "nerve" of the UAV system, determining its control range. The application of composite materials is crucial for the lightweight, miniaturized, and high-performance structure of UAVs. Future UAVs will develop towards high stealth capabilities, and stealth materials are key to achieving stealth performance. With the development and application of technologies such as artificial intelligence, UAVs will evolve towards collaborative operations with manned aircraft in medium- to high-intensity warfare, or even fully autonomous operations.
In terms of global military budgets, the budgets for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems will continue to grow, with Middle Eastern countries being the main buyers. China remains the largest supplier in the Middle East. As more and more countries learn from the lessons of using UAVs in recent local wars, UAVs are beginning to proliferate globally, especially in the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa, often considered a global "safe haven," which have become major buyers in the international military UAV market in recent years. Due to defense laws and regulations and political factors, UAV powers like the United States and Israel strictly limit the sale of UAV systems to Middle Eastern countries. Chinese UAVs, known for their high quality and low price, have gained favor in the Middle East. Facing competition from Turkey and Iran, which also have price advantages, Chinese UAVs have the advantages of higher performance and a self-sufficient supply chain, thus maintaining their position as the largest UAV supplier in the Middle East.
Downstream manufacturers of military drones occupy a core position in the industry chain. The upstream of the military drone industry chain consists of highly versatile and compatible raw materials, components, parts, and modules/components, characterized by low concentration and numerous participating companies. While the midstream subsystems have a large overall value, they are numerous and highly customized, requiring corresponding support according to the technical requirements of downstream manufacturers. Therefore, downstream manufacturers occupy a core position in the industry chain and are the driving force behind its development.
Key Companies to Watch: We highly recommend Zhongwu UAV, AVIC Shenfei, AECC Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), Xinle Energy, AVIC High-Tech, and Aerospace Electronics. Zhongwu UAV is a leading enterprise in large fixed-wing long-endurance UAVs. Its Wing Loong product series has reached international advanced levels and is a leading product in my country's military trade UAVs. AVIC Shenfei is a major research and development base for important fighter jets in my country. Currently, the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation have urgent needs for new and upgraded equipment. With the continuous construction of my country's aircraft carrier fleet, naval carrier-based aviation will bring continuous incremental demand to the company. AECC Aero Engine Corporation of China is a mainstay of my country's aero-engine industry. Its main models are already in the production growth phase, with many turbofan, turboprop, and turbojet engines that can be used in UAVs, filling the urgent power gap for UAVs in my country. Xinle Energy has a rich product portfolio in the field of special power supplies, with a high proportion in power supply products for new key missile and radar electronic equipment. As related overall products enter the mass delivery stage, the company's performance in special power supply products will continue to grow rapidly. AVIC High-Tech focuses on carbon fiber prepreg products, occupying a core and pivotal position in the carbon fiber industry chain. It undertakes the research, production, and supply of prepreg products required for various new types of aviation equipment, possessing a monopolistic advantage. With the large-scale deployment of new aviation equipment and missiles, the company's aviation composite materials business is entering a period of rapid growth. Aerospace Electronics' main products are key and essential basic components in system or complete machine circuits, widely used in high-tech fields such as aerospace, aviation, electronics, and weaponry. The company will directly benefit from the accelerated finalization and mass production of new missile weapons and aviation equipment for the Chinese military, as well as the increased consumption resulting from the increased frequency of combat-oriented exercises across the armed forces.
Risk warning: Overseas drone orders may fall short of expectations; domestic deployment may fall short of expectations; uncertainties surrounding the pandemic may impact production and delivery; and the development of new models may fall short of expectations.
1. History of UAV Development: With continuously enhanced system functions and tactical applications, UAVs have gradually become main combat equipment.
1.1 Early Stage (Early 20th Century - 1960s): Primarily used as flying bombs and target drones.
The invention of autopilots based on gyroscopes ushered in the era of drone development. In 1917, Sperry's "aerial torpedo," developed for the US Navy, completed its first flight. Around the same time, Kettering successfully developed the "Ketringer Bug" flying bomb for the US Army. Towards the end of World War II, Germany developed the V-1 flying bomb, which followed a similar guidance principle to the "Ketringer Bug." With the development and application of radio technology, unmanned target drones developed rapidly. The advent of the British DH.82B "Queen Bee" in 1935 enabled the recovery of drones, greatly reducing operating costs and laying the foundation for the widespread adoption of drones. From the end of World War II to the 1960s, many countries successively developed various target drones. For a period, target drones became synonymous with drones. The development of unmanned target drones during this period also spurred the development of key drone technologies such as remote control and telemetry, flight control and navigation, small engine technology, launch and recovery technology, and specialized drone equipment, laying the foundation for the comprehensive development of drones in the future.
Classification and performance characteristics of drones
The rapid development of drone-related technologies both domestically and internationally has resulted in a wide variety of drone systems with diverse applications and distinct characteristics, leading to significant differences in size, weight, range, flight time, speed, flight altitude, and payload. Emergency rescue exhibitions can be categorized in several ways from different perspectives:
Based on the principle of lift generation, drones can be mainly classified into fixed-wing drones, unmanned helicopters, multi-rotor drones, vertical take-off and landing compound drones, and tethered drones.
Based on their power source, drones can be classified into electric drones, gasoline-powered drones, and hybrid drones.
According to their size and specifications, drones can be classified into micro drones, light drones, small drones, medium drones, and large drones.
The following discussion will primarily categorize drones based on their lift generation principles.
(I) Fixed-wing UAVs
Fixed-wing drones typically generate thrust or pull through their power unit and lift through their fixed wings. Small fixed-wing aircraft generally take off via catapult, taxiing, vehicle mounting, rocket boosting, or aircraft deployment, and land using methods such as parachute descent or net landing. Larger fixed-wing aircraft require runways for takeoff and landing. Currently, with the emergence of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones, small fixed-wing drones have been gradually phased out in industrial applications, remaining mainly used in target drone scenarios. Large fixed-wing drones, such as the Wing Loong and Rainbow drones, possess strong operational and mission execution capabilities and can carry various payloads for emergency rescue missions.
advantage:
1. High load-bearing capacity;
2. Long battery life;
3. Long range;
4. Fast speed.
shortcoming:
1. Expensive;
2. Long deployment time;
3. Due to its high flight altitude, it cannot perform low-altitude missions;
4. It needs to have a certain forward speed and cannot hover.
Large fixed-wing aircraft have many applications in the military field. In emergency rescue, they are suitable for carrying appropriate payloads to provide long-range aerial support, such as carrying satellite communication and base station equipment to restore communication in disaster areas when communication is interrupted; and carrying high-definition pods to conduct aerial photography of disaster areas and transmit the data back to the command center for command and dispatch. Due to their high cost, they are suitable for major disaster scenarios; for general disasters, using large fixed-wing aircraft is not economical.
(II) Unmanned Helicopters
Unmanned helicopters possess complete rotor and transmission systems. Flight attitude and speed are adjusted by changes in collective pitch. They can take off and land vertically. Currently, mature unmanned helicopters are available on the market, ranging from lightweight to large. Unmanned helicopters can be further categorized into traditional configuration unmanned helicopters, cross-rotor unmanned helicopters, coaxial dual-rotor unmanned helicopters, and tandem unmanned helicopters.
advantage:
1. High load-bearing capacity;
2. Long battery life;
3. Good stability;
4. Strong wind resistance;
5. The price is reasonable;
6. Easy to operate.
shortcoming:
1. Slow forward flight speed;
2. Complex maintenance.
Unmanned helicopters can take off vertically, are highly maneuverable, hover in place, and have a strong payload capacity, with models available from 10kg to 500kg. They are also reasonably priced, have long endurance, and can meet various emergency rescue needs. Furthermore, the cross-rotor unmanned helicopter, with its two rotors arranged in a cross pattern above the fuselage, offers advantages such as high payload capacity, stable handling, and good wind resistance, making it ideal for emergency rescue missions. Examples include: conducting photography and videography for disaster areas; assisting rescue personnel in transporting equipment to designated locations; carrying firefighting equipment for high-rise firefighting; carrying infrared cameras for fire detection; and assisting rescue personnel in transporting the injured to medical points, etc.
Drones have developed rapidly in recent years, and their characteristics have been applied in many fields, opening convenient doors for certain industries. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of unmanned aerial vehicles? Let's analyze it below.
Advantages:
1. Drones are relatively small in size, are not limited by the physiological conditions of the pilot during design, have high work intensity, and do not require personnel survival protection and emergency systems, which greatly reduces the weight of the aircraft;
2. Low manufacturing cost and life cycle cost; no expensive training and maintenance costs; long service life; simple inspection and maintenance.
3. The technological advantages of drones are that they can take off and land at fixed points, have low requirements for takeoff and landing site conditions, and can be remotely controlled via radio or onboard computer;
4. To avoid the sacrifice of aircrew members, as the elimination of flight crew members maximizes the safety of personnel;
5. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has a diverse range of equipment and good adaptability.
Disadvantages:
1. Drones are relatively slow and have weak resistance to wind and air currents. In strong winds and turbulent air, drones are prone to deviating from their flight path and have difficulty maintaining a stable flight attitude.
2. The drone's adaptability is weak and it cannot cope with unexpected events. When there is strong signal interference, the receiver is prone to losing contact with the ground workstation.
3. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are greatly affected by weather conditions. Icing occurs at lower flight altitudes than previously expected. At altitudes of 3000-4500m, continuous flight for 10-15 minutes can damage the aircraft.
4. Low survivability; when used in the military, it offers no advantage when fighting against enemies with strong air defense capabilities.
