China showcased its Jetank multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the ongoing 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai City, south China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday.
The UAV has an isomerism hive module in its tail where various of loads can be installed to meet the demands of different missions like transportation, airdrop, information support, and military attacks.
"Once equipment is loaded onto the UAV, it can work like an arsenal plane or a composite aircraft. So, it can incorperate the functions of reconnaissance, interference and striking at the same time," said Du Wenlong, a military expert.
The Jetank UAV has a length of 16.35 meters, a wingspan of 25 meters, and eight hardpoints. Its maximum takeoff weight reaches 16 tonnes, and the maximum mission altitude stands at 15,000 meters. The UAV has a maximum flight speed of 700 kilometers per hour and is capable of flying for over 12 hours.
The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Zhuhai Airshow, opened Tuesday. It has an exhibition area of UAV and unmanned surface vehicle (USV) for the first time. From Tuesday to Thursday, the airshow will have a four-hour UAV and unmanned surface equipment performance on a daily basis.
Mutifunctional UAV Jetank debuts at Zhuhai Airshow
The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 43,712, and the total injuries reached 103,258, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement released on Wednesday.
Over the past 24 hours, Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused 47 deaths and 182 injuries, the statement said.
The health authorities said that Israeli forces on Wednesday launched airstrikes on the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip, resulting in 14 deaths and dozens of injuries. Regions including Beit Lahia, Nuseirat and Rafah were also attacked by Israeli air forces, causing deaths and injuries.
The Wednesday report from Israeli media Haaretz said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is "gearing up to remain in Gaza until end of 2025, at least".
The report said the Israeli forces have been building a great number of outposts in Gaza and engaged in facility construction, including road expansion, communication antennas installation, and connection of water and electricity supply systems.
Haaretz said that all these indicated that the Israeli forces have been preparing for a long-term presence in Gaza.
Since the breakout of this round of Palestine-Israel conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the Israeli forces will have freedom of movement across Gaza even after the end of the conflict.
In February, Netanyahu unveiled a post-war strategy for Gaza, stressing that Israel will "maintain operational freedom of military actions throughout the Gaza Strip, without time constraints", which then was met with opposition from many sides.
In May, then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant publicly challenged the post-war strategy of Netanyahu, and was fired by the prime minister earlier this month.
Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 43,712
