The Global Times reported (February 27) that the PLA Navy deployed a new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing drone on a guided missile destroyer during a three-day exercise in the South China Sea in late February. China Military Online reported on February 26, that the drone took off from the helicopter deck of the Lanzhou, a Type 052C destroyer. It did not name the drone or elaborate on any technical detail. According to a photo in the report, the drone boasts a triple-fuselage design. The left and right fuselages each have four propellers: two on top, two on the bottom. A larger propeller is installed at the rear of the aircraft. Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times "The eight smaller propellers can provide the lift needed for VTOL, and the larger propeller provides thrust." Wei Dongxu said a VTOL aircraft is very suitable for a vessel as it requires little room for takeoff and landing, noting that the new drone has combined the advantage of a rotorcraft and a fixed-wing aircraft.
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