Скачать или смотреть China's UAVs Achieve Autonomous Air Refueling for Extended Missions：The China Briefing20251219

According to The China Briefing, China just pulled off a major milestone in drone tech. Scientists at Northwestern Polytechnical University completed the country’s first publicly reported autonomous aerial refueling test between two drones. Here’s how it worked: one UAV served as a tanker, equipped with a fuel pod, while the other played the receiver. Using a robust visual navigation system—powered by a dual-camera near-infrared setup and AI deep learning—the receiving drone could lock on, track, and dock with the tanker even in tough conditions like direct sunlight or partial obstruction. The system achieved over 99% detection accuracy, with centimeter-level precision.

This breakthrough is a game changer for China’s heavy “Jiutian” UAV program. The Jiutian can already carry over 200 cruise missiles and fly up to 7,000 kilometers—but that’s not enough to reach the continental U.S. Autonomous aerial refueling could double its range, putting U.S. coastal cities within reach. Military experts see this as a huge step towards fully unmanned, ultra-long-range strike fleets. While the U.S. has similar efforts, China’s leap forward is raising some serious eyebrows worldwide.

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