[ALMASDARNEWS] The stealth target drone China recently showcased will provide the Chinese military with experience encountering stealth fighter jets like the F-35, as the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region are deploying more of such jets, Chinese military experts said on Friday.Exhibited at the Northwestern Polytechnical University booth at the ongoing 2019 Russian International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS) in Zhukovsky, near Moscow, the LJ-I is a high-subsonic target drone that is capable of simulating a fourth-generation ‐ or fifth-generation according to another commonly used classification ‐ fighter jet.
The LJ-I is stealth-capable, can fly for an extended period, has high maneuverability and is equipped with electronic countermeasures and jamming capabilities, according to a statement the university sent to the Global Times at MAKS 2019.
The 4.7-meter long, 2.5-meter wide drone is also cost-efficient, the statement said, noting that multiple LJ-Is can also build a formation to simulate real combat.
These features enable the target drone to do its intended job: act as a target, but an advanced one that could simulate the world’s latest stealth warplanes like the F-35, an anonymous military expert told the Global Times on Friday.
The US has been selling the F-35 to its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, South Korea and Australia, with the US itself also deploying the fighter jet on aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships.