So far there is no fact that the autogyro, gyroplane or also called gyrocopter, is effectively used in military operations. The public has been aware of the debut of a gyrocopter that is 'armed' only in action films, such as in the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice" which was screened in the 60s decade.
And as if to prove what appeared in the James Bond film, the Chinese military is now known to have operated a gyrocopter armed with anti-tank missiles.
Sourced from a video released by China's state-owned television network CCTV7, showing the first gyrocopter operated by the Chinese Army equipped with an anti-tank missile launcher and a small sensor dome.
The footage shows a two-seat gyrocopter loaded with four anti-tank missiles, two in each of the plane's bottom hardpoint extensions. The gyrocopter also appears to be equipped with a small sensor dome under its nose, which can be used to find targets, aim and guide missiles, in addition to the sensor dome function to provide more general surveillance and reconnaissance tasks.
The installation of anti-tank missiles and sensor turrets marks a significant improvement on Chinese gyrocopters in terms of ammunition, the latest images even showing the gyrocopter being equipped with a small precision-guided bomb without a sensor gravy. It is not clear how real the capabilities of the anti-tank missiles mounted on this gyrocopter are.
The gyrocopter shown in this article is the “Hunting Eagle Strike Gyrocopter” made by Shaanxi Baojii Special Vehicles Manufacturing Company. This vehicle has begun to be used for the Chinese Army special forces in August 2014.
The “Hunting Eagle” comes in different configurations, including single and double seat variants. According to the manufacturer, the two-crew gyrocopter has a range of about 402 km and has a maximum gross weight of about 560 kg.
Unlike helicopters, which rely on special motors to drive their rotors, gyrocopters fly by autorotation. The rear-facing propulsion engine drives the propellers. This thrust and movement from the rear supports pushes the main blades of the aircraft.
The use of armed and unarmed gyrocopters by the Chinese military has been widely known since the October 1, 2019 military parade – the 70th Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.
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| Combat Gyrocopter |
Gyrocopter is known as a slow but agile vehicle. The aircraft can perform takeoffs and landings on short runways with very high angles of approach over a small area.
The gyrocopter is extremely easy to conceal, making it easy to transport for all kinds of covert reconnaissance missions, as well as for border patrol and search and rescue operations. In addition, the gyrocopter also has a low thermal signature, making it difficult to detect by radar.
Although the Chinese military has demonstrated the use of gyrocopters in military exercises, particularly in Tibet last year, it is still unclear how China will use gyrocopters equipped with anti-tank missiles. The Twitter account @OsintTv argues that the Chinese military spokesman in the CCTV7 video revealed that they could be deployed along the China-India border to fight Indian tanks and other vehicles.
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