Images shared on Chinese social media show what many theorize may be an electromagnetic catapult mounted on a truck.
The drone recordings were made at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai and began circulating on the internet in China last week, according to a report from the site The War Zone.
Although the drones appear covered in the images, it is still possible to get an idea of the overall design of the project. The nose landing gear, with clearly visible bars, clearly indicates that the aircraft was designed for catapult launches.
But an even more interesting detail is that new photos from the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard show at least three eight-wheeled trucks that appear to be designed to lock perfectly into a chain.
From the images, we can see that one of the drones is loaded onto the back of one of the trucks with its front landing gear locked in what appears to be a catapult.
In addition to the cabs at the front, the sides of the trucks are mostly open, which allows you to notice the complex electrical systems with large amounts of exposed wiring.
We can also see a cylindrical drum above each wheel, which could be part of an independent articulated suspension system capable of self-leveling.
Taking this into account, there is the potential that these trucks could be part of a mobile ground-based electromagnetic catapult system, according to TWZa theory supported by cylinders and wiring.
At the same time, they could simply be transport vehicles, although the design seems much more sophisticated than would be necessary for that purpose. It is also possible that the trucks were designed to serve both functions.
In any case, the idea of using a catapult-type launch system from aircraft carriers on land is not new. Both China and the United States have already built land-based steam and electromagnetic catapults for testing, evaluation and training purposes.
One of the main advantages of electromagnetic catapults over steam catapults is generally their ability to be more adjustable in terms of the forces they exert on any aircraft during launch.
This capability could be particularly valuable in expeditionary scenarios or other contexts where access to traditional runways is limited, which is highly relevant to Chinese military scenarios.
A mobile system would also offer a new way to push at least some level of air power closer to the front line and keep it there, where it could be more responsive, even as the size of the battlefield evolves.
Another general advantage of electromagnetic catapults is the reduced recovery time. It’s possible that a truck pre-loaded with a drone could launch, stop at the end of the runway, launch, and then drive away to make room for the next one, offering additional benefits when it comes to operational tempo.
However, it is important to point out that the capabilities of a modular system would also depend on its exact configuration, including the overall length of the catapult track, information that has not yet been revealed about this particular system.
In any case, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) appears particularly interested in systems suitable for operations in the Pacific, where a land-based electromagnetic catapult system could be particularly relevant.
For now, we only have information shared by Chinese observers. However, Chinese authorities do not appear to have taken any special measures to hide the recent appearance of drones or trucks. Therefore, it is expected that we will know more about both systems soon.
Photo: Reproduction. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
