China’s ‘land aircraft carrier’ charges flying drone with microwave beam

Some analysts have likened the concept to a “land-based aircraft carrier”, in which an armoured vehicle could function as a mobile command and energy node, launching and sustaining drones much just as naval carriers support aircraft. They say such systems could extend the operational reach of ground forces, enabling persistent surveillance, airborne attacks and electronic warfare. The findings were published on March 25 in the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Aeronautical Science & Technology by a team from Xidian University, which is known for its military technology research. In tests, the car-mounted system kept fixed-wing drones in the air for up to…