What you see in these two videos is a Chinese combat-ready attach drone called Blowfish A2 from Chinese Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) maker, Ziyan UAV. Ziyan UAV is not a newcomer in making UAV, though. Prior to unveiling the Blowfish A2 at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2019 in Langkawi, Malaysia, the company already have at least 5 other helicopter-based combat drones under its belt. The Blowfish A2 is no different, but it stands out from the rest of siblings because of its very unusual form.
The Blowfish A2 is a versatile multi-mission unmanned helicopter with a 15kg lift capacity and open payload cabin design, allowing the system to be fitted with a wide variety of payloads such as EO/IR cameras, LiDAR scanners and weapons systems.
Yes, the Blowfish A2 is an electrically powered UAV which makes it pretty darn silence and perfect for recon missions and sneaking up on enemy out of sight of radar detection. Ziyan UAV Blowfish A2 is an autonomous UAV that can be launched at a touch of a button. It is totally capable of autonomously perform complex combat missions, including fixed-range recon, targeted target strike and more. As expected, where the belly used to be is now a space for assortment of payload, including radar, jamming device, guns, and very oddly, bombs.
Usually, attack drones of such nature would be loaded with guided missiles, but in the case of Blowfish A2, it can be hooked up to a bunch of gravity-based bombs. Clearly, Blowfish A2 is not like the General Atomics Reaper or the Predator drone that can go to distance to delivery its payload. It is more for close combat support for ground troops. This means, it can be launched by the ground troops to do things like reconnaissance or attack advancing opposing force. Being a vertical take-off UAV, it is also suited for launched from seafaring vessels too.
It seems like China is particularly fascinated with VTOL drone with the state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) also in the business of developing helicopter drones including the missile-firing AV500W unveiled two years ago at the China Helicopter Expo. But Ziyan UAV Blowfish A2 Attack Drone is by far the oddest looking yet.
With a high wind resistance and the ability to take off and land in an exceedingly small space, the Blowfish A2 is an ideal maritime ISR platform. It can be equipped with an AIS (automatic ship identification) transceiver and has a wider coverage area than patrol vessels. The aircraft also supports long-range HD video links and 4G communications modules for real-time image transmission.
Specifications:
| Dimensions | 1870x565x620 mm |
| Max. Take-Off Weight | 39 kg |
| UAV Weight | 13.5 kg |
| Max. Payload | 12-15 kg |
| Cruising Speed | 50-75 (max 145) km/h |
| Wind Resistance | Level 7 (wind speed 17m/s) |
| Endurance | 75min (without payload) |
| Max Air Range | 70 km (without payload) |
| Working Temperature | -20-65 ℃ |
Featuring real-time monitoring and a dual redundant flight control system, the Blowfish A2 is a safe and highly efficient solution for a variety of industrial and military applications.
Learn more: Blowfish A2 Heavy-Lift VTOL UAV
The new defense version Blowfish A3 is a highly maneuverable VTOL UAV with small-radius in-flight movement capabilities comparable to manned helicopters. With automatic takeoff and landing and easy, convenient operation, the aircraft can be fully programmed and launched with just a few clicks. The platform uses AI-based reconnaissance to detect identify and track moving targets.
Specifications:
| Dimensions | 1940x470x710 mm |
| Max. Take-Off Weight | 40 kg |
| UAV Weight | 14.5 kg |
| Max. Payload | 9-12 kg |
| Cruising Speed | 50-75 (max 145) km/h |
| Wind Resistance | Level 7 (wind speed 17m/s) |
| Endurance | 75min (without payload) |
| Max Air Range | 80 km (without payload) |
| Working Temperature | -20-65 ℃ |
The unmanned helicopter can take advantage of Ziyan’s distributed intelligence technology to fly in swarms, maintaining formation and automatically avoiding obstacles even if the connection with the ground control station is lost. It can be equipped with a wide variety of payloads for both defensive and offensive applications.
