Journey of Vietnam Made UAV

25 Februari 2012

In 1996, Vietnam has successfully fabricated a target aircraft, marking a step forward of the aviation engineering industry of the Vietnam (all photos : BaoDatViet & ttvnol)

The goal is not just for flying training mission air defense units, but also the foundation for Vietnam to design UAV reconnaissance.

After a period of research, manufacturing and testing, in 1996, the target aircraft launched a mark a great progress of aviation engineering Air Defense-Air Force.

Up to now, not only in the types of target aircraft, unmanned aircraft (UAV) training service, Air Defense - Air Force is also home study, created the UAV for military purposes to participate a. That success has made Vietnam become one in five Southeast Asian countries design and manufacture successful UAV.

The Target Aircraft

Previously, after the season firing of the air defense forces, air force, the unit is excited to destroy the target performance is relatively high and stable.

However, the head of Air Defense - Air Force at the time the utmost concern. Scientific and Technical growing military activities of the enemy in combat increasingly sophisticated, especially the means of offensive fire air. Failure to improve training innovation is difficult to meet mission requirements in the new situation.

Therefore, the research, production targets flying as a mission imperative and necessary. To prepare for this mission, in 1996, Air Defense - Air Force bought the combination DF-16 flying machines of Israel and delivered to the Defense Department of Education (Department General Staff - Air Force) research and learning. Next, the High Command of U.S. spy agency assigned to coordinate with the A40 plant research, manufacturing target aircraft.

After 3 years of research, design, fabrication and testing, in late 1999, two target aircraft symbols M-96 (flight day) and M-96D (night flights) have been shipped factory and flew A40 successfully tested in the sky Mieu Mon (Ha Noi).

M-100CT target aircraft for training firing artillery unit high-radiation missile.

This target type of glass TZK support, and manual controls make the flight with the naked eye visibility. And since then, the target M-96 and M-96D is the Air Defence - Air Force series production for the missile force, high-radiation artillery training.

However, compared to other types of target aircraft in the world for air defense forces, air force training, M-96 has many limitations such as short range, low ceiling and small speed. Therefore, M-96 was studied further improvements and upgrades to the wide operating range, high ceiling, greater speed, especially flying devices automatically predefined program.

Continued military service assigned to the engineers involved in the production of each M-96. After The research objective of the Institute of Technical Chamber of aircraft - Air Force (VKTPK-KQ) was established, Colonel Trinh Xuan Dat was appointed chief, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Tinh as deputy director, the Board granted with funding of infrastructure, material and equipment for research and production.

After nearly half a year of research the Institute has completed its mission of M-96 M-100CT, ensuring the technical requirements. The flight program was conducted in the report in July 2004, the Institute has performed successful flights of the target M-100CT.

Improvement program target M-96 to M-100CT success is both a step forward in the field of aircraft manufacturing goals, this is a firm basis for the U.S. spy scientists towards the realization of dream UAV successfully fabricated dream.

UAV "Made in Vietnam"



Indeed, before the success of M-100CT, early 2001, VKTPK - KQ has started the project "Research, design, fabrication UAV control program", symbol M-400CT. This device has many similarities with the flying machines The DF-16 production by Israel. Until the test is successful M-100CT, assigned to The Research Institute target aircraft continue to improve our products.

Colonel Trinh Xuan Dat said, this is a difficult task, requiring effort and invest more intellectual, the most difficult is the design and manufacture of automation control program. Meanwhile, this component is not imported, the water is increasingly scarce, so the engineers have a lot of experimental research on the different components.

As part of making the shell, the fuselage, unlike the target aircraft, this time in collaboration with the Institute of Polytechnic University of Hanoi using composite materials (instead of wood as before), the material is both cheap and reduce the weight of the plane, bringing the ability to bring the plane's fuel.

After 4 years of research, testing, on 09/15/2005, 2 the UAV M400-CT version 405 and 406 successfully flew the last report at the airport flying Dual (Bac Giang), with high 2000 m, 15 km radius of operation.
Colonel Trinh Xuan Dat-head study of target aircraft is one of those instrumental in making unmanned aircraft in Vietnam.

Then VKTPK-KQ continue to improve and upgrade the M-400CT to a height of 3,000 meters, the speed of 250 - 280km / h, 30km radius of operation, can landing on the runway (earth or concrete).

Along with the construction of UAV, the Institute has also designed and built successful launch pad systems (for the absence of runway to take off) with the materials in the water, light and easy to maneuver.

With this success, dated 15.09.2006 is taken as date of birth of the UAV and successfully led Vietnam to become one of the few Southeast Asian countries built UAV.

Currently, VKTPK - KQ is the target aircraft production, UAV for the training of air defense forces, air force and army air defense forces.

Compared to the previous target and UAV, now we have to improve and upgrade more than to meet mission requirements of these new and modern weapons. Along with the target aircraft production, UAV for military purposes, VKTPK - KQ also design, create different types of UAVs for civilian purposes, such as spraying aircraft, flight shooting, photography of the terrain ...

(BaoDatViet)