China’s high altitude unmanned helicopter drone for Tibet makes maiden test flight

China’s first unmanned helicopter drone designed to fly in plateau areas and capable of firing and conducting reconnaissance from a high altitude has made its maiden flight and could be deployed along the country’s borders with India, according to reports in the official media here.

The AR500C unmanned helicopter, which has the ability to relay communication from a high altitude, could help safeguard China’s southwestern borders with India in Tibet, the state-run Global Times reported. The drone, developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), successfully made its maiden flight on Wednesday at an AVIC base in Poyang in East China’s Jiangxi Province.

During the flight, it conducted several manoeuvres including hovering.