Chinese unmanned air vehicle (UAV) maker ZhongCe BeiFang Science & Technology hopes to promote its commercial and military systems in the Indonesian market.
The company, founded in Guangzhou in 2006, recently opened an office in Jakarta, according to a company representative, speaking with FlightGlobal at the inaugural Bali air show.
The company produces systems in three Chinese provinces: Guangdong, Shandong, and Sichuan.
It has produced 5,000 UAVs of various types, which range from quadcopter drones that can perform missions ranging from surveillance to pest control, to fixed-wing UAVs that can perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) or operate as a communications relay.
Notably, the company has developed what it refers to as a “high performance inertial navigation module”. This, combined with a frequency hopping data link and anti-interference antenna, helps the company’s drones and UAVs counter electromagnetic interference.
At the Bali show, the company is pitching its new LM-10 loitering munition, a system that has been in development for three years.
The LM-10 can carry a payload of 1-3kg (2.2-6.6lb) and has a “task radius” of 27nm (50km). The LM-10 can be launched from vehicles, ships, and aircraft.
The company is also promoting its FWO-55, an oil-powered fixed-wing UAV. It is equipped with four rotors to provide a vertical take-off capability as well as a pusher prop for forward flight.
ZhongCe BeiFang pitches the system for monitoring the resources sector – Indonesia is home to vast forests and large scale mines – as well as for disaster relief and military work.
Asked whether the company is affected by the USA’s restrictions on sales of semiconductor chips to China, the representative says that chips can be sourced from other sources, including potentially Indonesia.
