In recent days, information has been circulating about Russia’s request for “military assistance” to China, although China denies this.
But what kind of weapons systems could Russia ask for from China, with Russia being a country with a huge military industry that designs and manufactures almost any kind of military systems and is the one that has sold most of the weapons that China has to China? Chinese industry copied, improved and now produces itself?
There are, of course, areas of the Russian war industry where either there is almost no activity or it is not yet mature.
One of them is the Unmanned Combat Aircraft (UCAV), the absence of which is striking from the Russian arsenal. China, on the other hand, had an almost monopoly status outside the United States.
The Chinese industry of this kind has introduced in the 2000s and -especially- of 2010 a variety of UCAVs, with different capabilities together with the respective arsenal of bombs and missiles that arm them (another special category of technology, since these ammunitions must be small and light enough (so that the requirements from the aircraft are as low as possible), and capable and destructive to fulfill their purpose).
The Chinese industry has UCAVs in various categories, including the giant CAIG Wing Loong / II (in service with Egypt, the UAE, Pakistan and other countries), or the CASC CH-4 / B, similar to the US General Atomics MQ -9 Reaper (in use with Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Iraq).
What the Chinese UCAVs will find useful in the Russian effort has to do with the abundance of MANPADS, that is, portable anti-aircraft missiles in Ukrainian hands.
The growing losses of attack helicopters as well as aircraft in the role of close air defense, which must fly low and are greeted by a Stinger storm are a situation that (among many others) undermines the Russian invasion.
On the other hand, the Ukrainians have proved the value of Bayraktar in the role of attacking logistics targets in the rear or high value AA BUK.
Chinese – immediately available – UCAV and suitable weapons could provide solutions to Russia’s problems in the face of the war of attrition suffered by the Ukrainians.
