China’s aviation leader puts cargo drone to test in Beijing’s push for strategic industry

Uncrewed vehicles are essential to China’s low-altitude economy, which the government has bolstered with policies and regulations since 2021

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A prototype of China’s HH-100 aerial commercial cargo drone is pictured in Xian where is completed a successful maiden flight, AVIC announced. Photo: AVIC via Xinhua

Published: 3:59pm, 14 Jun 2024Updated: 4:03pm, 14 Jun 2024

China’s leading aircraft manufacturer said it successfully conducted the maiden flight of a new commercial aerial freight drone in northwestern China, as Beijing moves to strengthen the uncrewed vehicle market and boost its potential.

The HH-100 prototype took off on Wednesday from Lantian general aviation airport in Xian, capital of Shaanxi province, said the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), an aerospace conglomerate.

During the flight, the HH-100 performed normally and completed all test requirements, according to AVIC.

It described the transport drone as “high payload and low cost”.

The unmanned freight aircraft has a designed maximum take-off weight of 2,000kg (4,410lbs), a payload of 700kg (1,540lbs) and a full-weight range of 520km (323 miles). It can achieve a maximum cruise speed of 300km/h and a maximum operating altitude of 5,000 metres.

With the capacity to carry around 4 cubic metres of cargo, the main application for the drone is branch-line logistics, or short-range delivery. However, its role could be extended to firefighting in forest and grassland, delivering relief materials, emergency relay communication and weather modification, AVIC said.

China’s civil drone industry reached 117.4 billion yuan (US$16.2 billion) last year, a year-on-year growth of 32 per cent, according to the China Centre for Information Industry Development, a research institute under the industry and IT ministry.