Chinese company Jitian Intelligent Equipment has announced its intention to build a drone manufacturing plant in Krasnodar, Russia. Preliminary reports suggest the facility will produce 20 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) per month, reports the Russian news outlets CNews. The Chinese company reportedly plans to invest 40 million rubles ($436,200). Currently, Jitian Intelligent Equipment has only …

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Initially, the company will produce the Jtilep JT40 UAV, designed for agricultural use such as spraying fertilizers over crops. However, media reports highlight that the drones can also be deployed for surveillance of various facilities and patrol duties. Moreover, the Jtilep JT40 can carry payloads of up to 60 kg. The intended selling price for the drones is 2.9 million rubles ($31,624).

Preliminary reports suggest the facility will produce 20 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) per month, reports the Russian news outlets CNews.

  • @gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    29•29 days ago

    Huh, I guess they’ve stopped pretending they’re not providing logistical support for Russia.

    And if you believe those are purely “agricultural drones”, I know a guy in Brooklyn with a bridge he wants to sell.

    • @ArbiterXero@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13•29 days ago

      Russia sent many farmers to their “meat grinder” of a war , so they probably need a lot of farming drones lol.

      Strange how those farming drones seem to blow themselves up at a REALLY high rate.

      China is going to use this to battle-test their tech though. That’s also unpleasant

      • @gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        8•29 days ago

        Oh yeah 100%. I would not at all be shocked if, in a few years, a fleet of “fishing vessels” launch thousands of drones to kick off an annexation attempt on Taiwan.

        It’d probably be frighteningly effective, because to my knowledge not even the US has a system that would be able to reliably stand up to, for instance, 200 drones launched towards an Arleigh Burke DDG. They’re starting to roll out directed energy point-defense, but as far as I know, it’s still very much in the testing and proof-of-concept phase. Not to mention, the PRC would absolutely lose its shit - perhaps to the extent that it actually prematurely precipitates an invasion - if we were to give Taiwan directed energy PDC.