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| Specifications of the TB-001 Twin Tailed Scorpion |
International Military - China has just shown off with its aviation products at Airshow China 2022, last November in Zhuhai. Among the drones on display, one that is quite eye-catching is the jumbo-sized drone, which is nicknamed "Drone Monster". He is the TB-001 Twin-Tailed Scorpion designed by the Sichuan Tengden factory.
This attack reconnaissance drone can fly carrying a full load of ammunition. In total there are 12 weapon hangers, five each under the wings and two in the belly. Classified as a MALE (Medium Altitude Long-Endurance) class drone, the TB-001 is equipped with three engines. Two on the main wing and a third pusher model engine in the tail.
TB-001 was first launched in September 2017. The drone has reportedly been operated by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) since 2021. This monster drone has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of over 3,000 kg. It has a range of around 6,000-8,000 km or with a maximum flight duration of 35 hours.
TB-001 is capable of hovering in the air up to a height of 9,000 m. This flight altitude is higher than the effective interception range of short-range surface-to-air missiles. That is, it can improve operational safety.
Equipped with an electro-optical tracking system (EOTS) directly in front of the ventral missile launcher, the TB-001 can be used in destroying high concentrations of ground targets. TB-001 can be relied upon for missions providing air support for ground troops. This drone will act as an unmanned close air support (CAS) aircraft.
With its large weapons payload, TB-001 can attack various enemy ground targets, both static and moving, such as bunkers, command posts, and various war vehicles. To destroy heavily armored targets and fortifications, the TB-001 is equipped with an 80 kg AR-4 air-to-ground missile. The missile has a range of up to 20 km and can be launched from an altitude of 7,000 m.
This Chinese drone can also fire 20 kg AR-2 air-to-ground missiles to destroy light vehicles, enemy personnel on the ground, and other targets.