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Nov. 1 (UPI) —<\/span>\u00a0China “successfully” launched a missile from an unmanned autonomous combat helicopter, with the projectile hitting a target 2.8 miles from the aircraft, according to state media.<\/p>\nThe Global Times reported Thursday the air-to-surface missile test took place Oct. 23, and China’s state-owned aviation company had developed the AV500W helicopter.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0drone<\/a>\u00a0was previously tested in December 2017, and the missile launch marks another important milestone, state media reported.<\/p>\n China News Network said the AV500W is designed to include a weapon system and has a maximum take-off weight of 1,100 pounds, Its effective payload is 385 pounds. The Chinese drone is capable of reaching over 5,000 meters in altitude, a maximum speed of 105 mph and a maximum cruising time of five hours.<\/p>\n The AV500W can be equipped with small laser-guided missiles, as well as machine guns. State media claimed the drone has “excellent maneuverability, camouflage and ambush capabilities.”<\/p>\n The Chinese military could deploy the drone to accurately hit targets during counterterrorism operations and intercept drug smugglers, state media said.<\/p>\n China’s drone exercise comes at a time when President\u00a0Xi Jinping<\/a>\u00a0is turning his attention to tensions in the South China Sea and with Taiwan.<\/p>\n Xi said this week Chinese military commanders should “concentrate preparations for fighting a war,” China Central Television reported.<\/p>\n “We need to take all complex situations into consideration and make emergency plans accordingly,” Xi said.<\/p>\n