Airbus at the Paris Air Show 2025: new features for the A400M

 At the 2025 Paris Air Show, Airbus Defense and Space unveiled its latest roadmap for transforming the A400M into a platform capable of remote electronic warfare (EW) missions. In parallel, Airbus confirmed that the A400M is being considered for additional mission profiles, such as serving as a drone carrier, contributing to the architecture of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) through broadband satellite and cloud connectivity to the battlefield, and working with fire extinguishing kits with the ability to dump 20,000 liters of water per dump. In addition, the French Air Force is discussing a possible strike option capable of launching short-range missiles or guided bombs from the cargo hold or pylons on the wings.

China is preparing to deploy the world's largest carrier of drones, the Jiu Tian

The Chinese defense industry has developed the world's largest drone carrier, the Jiu Tian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which is being prepared for deployment as early as June 2025. This unique "mothership" is capable of transporting and launching up to 100 smaller drones, including kamikaze drones operating as part of a swarm.

The Jiu Tian weighs about 11 tons and can carry an additional load of 100 drones with a total weight of about 6.6 tons. At the same time, the flight range of this system reaches an impressive 4,350 miles (approximately 7,000 kilometers), which allows it to be used to perform a wide range of tasks over long distances.

This combination of payload and range makes the Jiu Tian a revolutionary platform for conducting autonomous combat operations using a swarm of drones. The ability to simultaneously launch a large number of UAVs significantly increases the effectiveness of reconnaissance, attacks and suppression of the enemy.

The development of Jiu Tian reflects China's desire for technological superiority in the field of unmanned systems and autonomous combat platforms, which strengthens its position on the world stage and changes the balance of power in modern conflicts.

It is expected that the deployment of this drone carrier will be an important milestone in the development of the Chinese armed forces and will open up new opportunities for conducting high-tech operations in the air.

Jiu Tian