Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    China
    Home / China / Innovation

    Chinese drones assist African mine surveying

    By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2017-08-26 07:16
    Share
    Share - WeChat

    Technicians from the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics prepare a CH-3 unmanned aircraft for a prospecting flight in Zambia. CHINA DAILY

    Operation in Zambia marks aircraft's first overseas mission for exploration

    Chinese unmanned aircraft have made the first drone-sbased aerial survey of mineral resources in Africa, according to the drones' producer.

    The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics refitted several of its best-selling CH-3 midrange combat/reconnaissance unpiloted planes to be the world's first deployable mine-survey drones and have been using them to prospect for mineral resources in the southern African country of Zambia since mid-July.

    So far, the CH-3s have carried out more than 50 flights and flown nearly 32,000 kilometers in Zambia in aerial prospecting operations, the academy said in a news release sent to China Daily.

    The project is part of an intergovernmental aid program launched by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce's Agency for International Economic Cooperation and China Geological Survey and was aimed at using drones to survey an 80,000-square kilometer area in northern and northeastern Zambia.

    China has used manned aircraft to perform aerial prospecting for other nations such as Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos, and has deployed unmanned planes to survey mineral resources on its own territory. However, this is the first time a Chinese drone has conducted such an operation overseas and is also the first time an African nation has adopted unmanned aircraft to explore mines, the academy said.

    The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics is the country's largest exporter of military drones. Its CH series have been sold to militaries in more than 10 countries, making it the largest military drone family the country has exported, according to the academy.

    Designers have also developed an array of civilian versions of the CH family. The CH-3 has variants that can fulfill geological and mineral inspection, environmental monitoring and disaster analysis. The larger CH-4 armed drone has unarmed versions capable of executing extended long-range marine surveillance and emergency communications.

    Shi Wen, chief designer of the CH series at the academy, said designers made a lot of modifications on the CH-3s used in the prospecting projects, including changes to their flight-control and navigation instruments and aerodynamic frames. The modified version is able to fly very close to the ground and can stay a long time in the air, he said.

    During each flight, aerial magnetometers and airborne radiometric detectors mounted on the CH-3 collect and analyze data, providing preliminary information for geological and chemical prospecting.

    Shi explained that compared with operations by manned aircraft or ground vehicles, drones make surveying and mapping tasks more effective and economical.

    They need less maintenance and fuel than manned planes, create less disturbance and can safely fly over hazardous or inaccessible areas without risks to humans, according to Shi.

    Next, the academy will use its drones to prospect mines for Liberia and is in talks with Kenya, the academy said.

    Shao Jinqiang, an expert from the Surveying and Mapping Institute under the Guizhou Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Exploration, said the use of unmanned planes has extensively reduced the workload and difficulties in prospecting and has improved accuracy and safety.

    zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn

    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
     
    亚洲JIZZJIZZ中国少妇中文| 亚洲一区二区三区无码中文字幕 | 亚洲AV无码专区日韩| 精品无码国产自产在线观看水浒传| 永久免费无码网站在线观看个| 亚洲无码在线播放| 久久久这里有精品中文字幕| 亚洲 另类 无码 在线| 丰满熟妇乱又伦在线无码视频| 国产成人无码区免费内射一片色欲 | 亚洲熟妇无码八V在线播放 | 无码国产伦一区二区三区视频| 制服丝袜日韩中文字幕在线| 国产日韩精品中文字无码| 亚洲gv天堂无码男同在线观看| 国产成人无码精品久久久免费 | 欧美 亚洲 日韩 中文2019| 蜜桃臀无码内射一区二区三区| 日韩人妻无码一区二区三区久久99| 精品久久久久久中文字幕大豆网| 99久久人妻无码精品系列蜜桃| 国产AV无码专区亚洲AV漫画| 日韩视频中文字幕精品偷拍| 日本精品自产拍在线观看中文| 日韩欧美中文亚洲高清在线| 久久99中文字幕久久| 婷婷综合久久中文字幕蜜桃三电影| 亚洲 欧美 国产 日韩 中文字幕| 无码国产成人午夜电影在线观看| 久久中文精品无码中文字幕| 高清无码视频直接看| 日韩精品无码久久一区二区三| 色欲香天天综合网无码| 日本公妇在线观看中文版| 99在线精品国自产拍中文字幕| 中文字幕亚洲情99在线| 无码AV中文字幕久久专区| 无码人妻少妇久久中文字幕| 中文字幕性| 亚洲AV无码1区2区久久| 东京热加勒比无码少妇|