As the only country in the world with an electromagnetic catapult "supercarrier", China and the United States have shown almost the same technical thinking and development path in the field of aircraft carriers, so it is natural that there will be a considerable degree of convergence between the two in terms of carrier-based aircraft, which is also crucial. This is not to say that one side is copying and imitating the other, but in the case of similar needs and industrial levels, the resulting products will inevitably have great similarity, and the same is true for front-line combat carrier-based UAVs.
A model of the MQ-158 UAV mounted on the AGM-25C
According to American media reports, at the "Navy Union Marine Aerospace Expo" in Maryland, the American Boeing company showed a model of the MQ-25 stealth drone mounted on the AGM-158C long-range anti-ship missile. By combining with the AGM-158C, the MQ-25 will no longer be just a simple carrier-based unmanned tanker, but will be endowed with anti-ship combat capabilities and become a carrier-based unmanned attack aircraft. Considering that the MQ-25 already has certain stealth capabilities, and the AGM-158C also has a stealth design, the combination of "stealth drone + stealth missile" does seem quite threatening.
The "Attack-11" drone has a better stealth effect
So here in China, which UAV will the "Fujian warship" use as a carrier-based aircraft in the future? Probably most people will think of the "Attack-11" at the first time. Indeed, this UAV with excellent stealth capabilities due to the use of flying wing layout and built-in bomb bay must have performance that cannot be underestimated, at least in terms of the most critical stealth performance, the "Attack-11" is naturally better than the MQ-25 with a normal aerodynamic layout. However, is the "Attack-11" really suitable for the "Fujian ship"? Or is it really suitable for being on board the ship? This may be a matter worth exploring.
X-47B landed on an aircraft carrier
Through the test of the X-47B UAV, the US Navy verified the possibility of flying wing aerodynamic layout aircraft on board, but in terms of practical carrier-based UAVs for real troops, the US Navy chose the MQ-25 with a normal aerodynamic layout. It is true that the stealth effect of the normal aerodynamic layout is often inferior to the more "clean" flying wing layout, but in terms of aircraft carrier take-off and landing performance, the former is more mature and stable than the latter.
The MQ-25 has a normal aerodynamic layout
Compared with the normal aerodynamic layout aircraft, which has more movable wing surfaces and rudder surfaces and can make more fine-tuning of the flight attitude during the landing stage, the aerodynamic efficiency of the flying wing layout aircraft is relatively poor, and the landing difficulty is higher. Under ideal test conditions, the X-47B with a flying wing layout has indeed been put on board, but if it is in a high-intensity and high-intensity actual combat environment, some war-damaged UAVs need to return home and land with injuries. At this time, the normal aerodynamic layout UAV, which is more mature and stable in technology, is obviously more confident of successful landing.
"Attack-11" is considered to be expected to be on board
From this point of view, the PLA should perhaps also make preparations with both hands. On the one hand, if the military is indeed confident in the technical strength of the domestic UAV industry, and believes that the flight control system of the "Attack-11" is powerful enough to ensure a high enough success rate of landing in the event of war damage, then it can unswervingly choose this UAV with stronger stealth performance. On the other hand, if it is difficult for China to completely ensure that the flying wing UAV has a high enough success rate of landing, then the UAV that will board the flight deck of the "Fujian Ship" in the future may not be the long-rumored carrier-based "Attack-11", but other models.
FH-97A UAV with a normal aerodynamic layout
So which drone will it be? The FH-97A may be an ideal choice. It is not difficult to find that the FH-97A with a normal aerodynamic layout also has a stealth design, thanks to the existence of a V-shaped vertical tail, the aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft may be much stronger than that of the "Attack-11", which can realize the precise adjustment of flight maneuvers and flight attitudes, or is more suitable for difficult aircraft carrier landings. Not only that, unlike the MQ-25, which can only carry missiles in the form of external carriers, the FH-97A has a built-in bomb bay in the initial design, and carrying weapons will not destroy its stealth appearance.
FH-97A UAV with a normal aerodynamic layout
What's more, on the sides of the fuselage of the FH-97A, DSI air intake technology similar to that of the J-20 appeared, apparently indicating that this drone has supersonic flight capabilities, which the "Attack-11" does not have. Thinking about it this way, the aircraft can not only become an unmanned attack aircraft, but also is expected to become a "multi-purpose unmanned fighter" that can accompany manned fighters in anti-air combat, and is very suitable for the development of a carrier-based J-35 "unmanned wingman".
The "Fujian ship" is completely envisioned
Next, let's look forward to which drone will board the "Fujian ship", and the possibility of "Attack-11" and FH-97A is probably not small. In the face of the MQ-25 of the US military, the PLA's requirements for domestically produced equipment of the same type may not only catch up with the United States, but also surpass it, I believe that whether it is "Attack-11" or FH-97A, it can do this.