China has developed the FH-97A drone - a clone of the Australian Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat

We all know very well that the Chinese have no problem copying Western technology. Meanwhile, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has updated the FH-97A drone, which is a clone of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat.

Here's What We Know

The FH-97A is the second modification of the FH-97 drone. If the company was inspired by the XQ-58 Valkyrie produced by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions while developing the original model, then the model with the index A became the analog of Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat (in the pictures below). Note that Boeing developed its UAV for the Royal Australian Air Force, but at least one has already been sold to the United States.

After a short digression, we return to China. The FH-97 debuted last year at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, but we never heard from it again. It is possible that the project has been shut down. A full presentation of the FH-97A will take place next week at the same event. Usually the airshow is held on even-numbered years, but because of the coronavirus, the show was moved from 2020 to 2021, so the FH-97 debuted with a slight delay.

The developers changed the shape of the drone's body. Sensors and cameras are located at the same points as the MQ-29 Ghost Bat, but it's unknown if the Chinese drone can take off and land using a conventional runway. It is possible that a parachute system will be used for landing.

The FH-97A, if it makes it to the final stage, is expected to be able to destroy enemy planes and drones, i.e. it will be designed for air-to-air missions rather than air-to-ground missions like the FH-97. An array of cameras will allow the drone to detect and track multiple targets from different angles while remaining immune to radio frequency interference.

Source: The Drive