HONG KONG, July 3. /TASS/. Segmented electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS) for heavy drones, developed in China, could change the rules of modern warfare, the South China Morning Post reported, citing military analyst Yue Gang.
He explained that containerized modular weapon systems provide "a distributed, intelligent combat architecture spanning both maritime and land domains." Yue Gang noted that the system, developed through a collaboration between "universities, state-owned defense companies and private enterprises," will be able to "benefit both national defense and industrial development" in the future.
His comment came after a video demonstrating the operation of an electromagnetic catapult mounted on trucks appeared on Chinese social media this week. The video shows three eight-wheeled flat-top trucks lined up in a row with their roofs forming a single strip from which a fixed-wing propeller drone is launched.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese mainland military analyst, pointed out that the containerized EMALS system allows drones to be launched from surface ships and complex terrain, increasing the flexibility of drone deployment. "Assembling a mobile electromagnetic catapult with a few trucks allows for launch capabilities from virtually anywhere, eliminating the need for even a standard road," the expert said.
