Programme
The development of the ASN-206 completed in December 1994 and the serial production began in 1996. Winner of the 1996 Chinese National Award for Technology Improvement, the ASN-206 was reportedly developed under the assistance of Tadiran Spectralink Ltd, a Israeli company specialising in the airborne communications and electronic countermeasures (ECM) systems, but this cannot be //confirm/i/ied.
A versatile aerial platform, the ASN-206 could be fitted with various mission payloads according to the requirements. The most significant improvement on the ASN-206 is its real-time datalink, which transfers video images to the ground control without any delay, while older-generation UAVs have to be recovered before the photo intelligence can be retreated. The UAV is being widely used by the PLA for various tactical roles.
The ASN-206 uses a tail-pushed, twin-tail braced design. The advantage of this layout is that the propeller driven by the tail-mounted engine would not disturb the sight of reconnaissance system
The ASN-206 can be configured with regular or infrared cameras or television seekers which would give the system a near-real-time capability. Some reports indicated that the electro-optical observation package on the ASN-206 was derived from an observation device purchased from Israel's Tadiran Ltd. The navigation systems of the UAV incorporates GPS and radio command.
The UAV is controlled by a digital flight control and management system, and is connected with the ground station through its intergrade radio system and advanced mission control system. The video data from the optical/infrared cameras are transmitted to the ground station in real time.
ASN-207 is an improved version of the ASN-206 with extended range and increased payload. It also features a mushroom-shape antenna for receiving flight control command (Chinese Internet)A
Mission Equipment
For intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles, the ASN-206 carries a stabilised multi-mission optronic payload, which has a modular design with different combinations of sensors:
- Monochrome and color CCD, or
- 3 color CCD's, or
- 8-12micro-metre infrared and 3-5 mm focal plane array infrared cameras, or
- Laser range finder and designators
Optronic payload specifications:
Diameter: 354mm
Height: 548mm
Elevation: 15 to -105 degree
Azimuth: 360 degree
Field of View (FoV): 0.37 degree narrow (CCD), 1.3 to 18.2 degree zoom (CCD); FoV IR (both 8-12 and 3-5 mm): 2.4/8.2/29.2 degree for narrow/medium/wide
Power: 280W 28 V DC
For electronic warfare and countermeasures (EW/ECM) roles, the UAV is fitted with a JN-1102 EW/ECM suite, which can scan, intercept, analyse, monitor, and jam enemy ground-to-air communications at 20~500MHz. The system consists of a UAV-mounted intercept subsystem, a UAV-mounted jamming subsystem and a ground-based intercept and jamming control subsystem.
Design
A standard ASN-206 system comprises:
- 6-10 aircraft
- Command and control vehicle
- M obile control vehicle
- Launch vehicle (each carrying one UAV)
- Power supply vehicle
- Intelligence processing vehicle
- Maintenance vehicle
- Transport vehicle
The UAV is transported and launched by a 6 x 6 flat-bed truck. An accessorial rocket is used when taking-off. Landing by parachute.
The UAV is powered by a horizontally opposed, air-cooled, 4 cylinder, 2 stroke HS-700 piston engine rated at 51hp.