7 octobre 2020 | International, C4ISR, Sécurité

La Chine perfectionne son premier drone militaire autonome

THOMAS ROMANACCE

Le drone autonome Wing Loong-2 a réussi de nouveaux essais de communication d'urgence en zone montagneuse, démontrant les progrès de Pékin dans le développement technologique des appareils de combat.

Une fois n'est pas coutume, la Chine a diffusé via ses chaînes de télévision officielles des nouvelles images de son premier drone militaire autonome : le Wing Loong-2. Habituellement très secrète sur son appareil dernier cri, la République populaire a fait une exception pour fêter l'accomplissement d'une nouvelle étape décisive de son développement. Le drone vient en effet de passer une série de tests, qui prouvent sa capacité à envoyer des images même lorsque les réseaux de communication classiques sont coupés.

Afin de s'assurer que le Wing Loong-2 ne pouvait capter aucun signal lors des essais, les militaires l'ont déployé au dessus de la commune de Muli. Il s'agit d'une zone très montagneuse, située au coeur de l'administration autonome tibétaine du Sichuan, dans le Sud-Ouest de la Chine. Sur place, le drone a effectué un vol ininterrompu d'une vingtaine d'heures, pendant lesquelles il a été capable de se diriger sans aide extérieure à travers les récifs et tout en relayant informations sur son environnement aux soldats restés au sol. L'engin a notamment pu répérer la localisation de sites de catastrophes simulées ou encore des routes endommagées.

Même si cet exercice visait surtout à évaluer l'intérêt du Wing Loong-2 pour des missions d'aide humanitaire, le drone n'en reste pas un moins un appareil militaire avant tout. Dotés de similitudes évidentes avec son cousin américain, le MQ-9, il a déjà été utilisé dans les zones de conflits. Les Émirats arabes unis ont notamment acheté plusieurs exemplaires de ces drones à la République populaire. Actuellement, ces appareils sont toujours déployés en Libye, où leur efficacité a été démontrée lorsqu'ils ont abattu plusieurs drones adverses. Les appareils chinois prouvent donc encore leurs capacités sur le terrain et montrent l'avancée technologique de la République populaire dans ce domaine.

https://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/la-chine-perfectionne-son-premier-drone-militaire-autonome-1382445

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