The unusual design integrates radar arrays in its booms, as well as satellite communication, which would allow the PLA to create a networked mesh of manned and unmanned AEW assets, offering redundancy and flexibility.
A video has emerged of China’s unorthodox Wuzhen-9 (or WZ-9) “Divine Eagle” unmanned aircraft, which has been described in social media posts as an uncrewed AEW (Airborne Early Warning) aircraft. The drone has been seen previously in scale models and satellite images.
The sighting comes close on the heels of Beijing flying two new claimed sixth-generation aircraft – a regional stealth bomber and a smaller fighter jet. This also displays how the PLA is realizing its vision of a heavily “mechanized” and automated military, as advocated in its successive defense white papers.
Design and possible features
The massive UAV is seen flying overhead, clearly showing its unusual design. The aircraft is based around a twin-boom structure, with a smaller wing acting as horizontal stabilizer in the front and the main wing in the rear, and two vertical stabilizers. The main wing also connects the two booms/fuselages.
Scale models, concept renditions and satellite images posted on X earlier this year show that the drone is powered by a single jet engine, sitting atop the main wing between the two booms and vertical stabilizers.
(video via 抖音/@一个卖涂料的)
WZ-9というのはコイツのことです。あまりにも特徴的な外見をしているので画質の低い映像でも見ればすぐに分かる。 pic.twitter.com/tkNl2Xwpe0
— お砂糖wsnbn (@sugar_wsnbn) December 28, 2024
The front part of both booms (or in this case the fuselages) have domes, as seen in the cutaway small-scale model bearing the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) logo. One of the domes is carrying what looks like a satellite communication antenna dish.
While only one of the fuselages is shown carrying this antenna, it is possible they might be present in both of them, given the sheer size of the drone. This could serve as a fail-safe in case one malfunctions, but both might also function together for a stronger control signal to avoid jamming.
The sides of the fuselages seem to house the radar arrays. Another image, posted by leading Chinese military analysis profile ‘sugar_wsnbn’ on X, is a computer-generated illustration showing the WZ-9 in flight, sporting a yellow paint scheme. The scale model and this illustration appear exactly the same, with little discernible differences.
However, the aperture and sensors’ placement around the drone are not visible in the latest video of the overhead flight. Also, it is not clear if the drone has flown before or was only captured on camera for the first time. Whether the drone is fully or semi-autonomous, and eventually the degree of man-in-the-loop control, or other features like optical and electronic sensing devices also are not known.
Larger manned airborne radars today also have other functions like coordinating with ground-based air defense systems and even guiding BVR (Beyond Visual-Range) missiles fired from manned fighters. The Meteor BVRAAM, for instance, can receive target updates from friendly AWACS/AEW&C after leaving its launching aircraft.
There is no official information about the WZ-9’s features, except for the images and videos circulating online. Having these additional capabilities, however, also increases the technical complexity and the cost of the drone, directly affecting its manufacturing-friendly scalability. At the same time, it is inconceivable to think the WZ-9 has not been designed to coordinate and network with other large UAVs, like the WZ-7 Soaring Dragon, whose strategic theater-level high-speed, high-altitude overflight is meant to sweep up all electronic emissions to help PLA planners picture an ‘electro-magnetic battlespace’.
The thrust on strengthening ‘kill chains’ before China has recently figured even in American military debates. Thus, for the PLA, the WZ-9 is simply another addition to a dense networked web, where there are too many linked elements for the entire system to fail.
Moreover, blurry images of the rumored KJ-3000 AEW aircraft, based on the Y-20 platform, have also emerged. This makes the four-engine plane the fourth manned AEW&C aircraft in the PLA Air Force’s fleet, and fifth in the overall Chinese inventory, including the carrier-capable KJ-600.
این هم فیلم پرواز آواکس بدون سرنشین چینی ها با نام Shendiao WZ-9 https://t.co/W4mF57s42e pic.twitter.com/gHxvWQ351L
— Xerxes (@H0shC) December 28, 2024
Attritability and redundancy
The general techno-doctrinal motivation behind developing such a system apparently is to have a large fleet of unmanned systems performing both weapons engagement and airborne sensing. This is valid at least for simpler mission profiles, where manned platforms would bring a disproportionately large cost, as well as logistical, maintenance and human safety constraints.
8️⃣ Parece que las celebraciones por el cumpleaños de Mao Zedong se van a alargar hasta el año nuevo chino.
Primeras imágenes en vuelo del SAC WZ-9 Divine Eagle (Shen Diao), un drone ISR HALE, larga distancia y techo de servicio.https://t.co/R1nxiKWrQB
https://t.co/bedKu6F4He pic.twitter.com/jQxSJwXPAw
— Historias de aviación 🇪🇦 (@ReinaldoDMM) December 28, 2024
The redundancy frees up manned fighters and AEW&C, while both the crewed and uncrewed systems can collectively cover a larger area. The Aviationist had explored this technology-influenced concept in previous pieces about the KJ-700 AEW&C and the KD-21 ballistic missile-CH UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle).
Any engagement of the drone by an adversary also threatens to reveal his position and can subsequently offer PLA Air Force planners some insights into opposing aircrafts movement patterns – if not directly help to attack them as an immediate response. Given China’s thrust on industrial and supply chain resilience and penchant for learning from other wars, designers from AVIC would have possibly designed the drone to be ‘attritable’.
Πληροφοριες για την πρωτη “επισημη” πτηση του Υπερβαρεως ΜΕΑ WZ-9
το οποιο θα εχει ρολο ΑΣΕΠΕ! https://t.co/CVDWcvh0Uq pic.twitter.com/3VjlBhVf1c
— Λoχίας Λίνκον Όσιρις gen.2 🇬🇷🇨🇾🇺🇦🇮🇱🇦🇲 (@LinconOsiris2) December 28, 2024
It will not be difficult to rapidly scale up production and replenish numbers in the event of a large number of losses. However, it is a different matter if a war with the U.S. in the western Pacific erupts and lasts that long to effectively scale up the production.
