Chinese ASN-301 drone targets mock airfield in live-fire exercise photo

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has released brief footage showing an ASN-301 drone being launched from a truck-mounted multiple launch system, offering a rare view of the Chinese loitering munition in action. The video was aired on Sunday by state media outlet CCTV, which described the exercise as training for newly recruited drone operators.

Business Insider reported that the clips show two 6×6 trucks positioned in desert terrain, each equipped with launchers that appear to hold six drone canisters.

The ASN-301, a delta-wing loitering drone, is seen firing from the launcher and climbing sharply along a straight flight path.

After several seconds in flight, CCTV shows the munition diving onto its target — seemingly a mock airfield with a nearby shelter — and detonating. The footage has since circulated widely on international social media.

The ASN-301’s design resembles the Iranian Shahed-136, but it bears more similarities to Israel’s Harpy loitering munition. Unlike the Shahed, which functions primarily as a one-way attack drone, both the ASN-301 and Harpy are designed to detect radio frequencies to locate and target enemy air defences.

China purchased 100 Harpy drones from Israel Aerospace Industries in the 1990s. Concerned that sensitive technology could be transferred to Chinese hands, the United States later pressured Israel to halt upgrades to the original batch. The ASN-301 began appearing at defence exhibitions around 2017 and is marketed by China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC).

According to CATIC, the eight-foot-long drone, known in China as the JSW-01 or Flying Dragon 300A, can operate either under remote control or fully autonomously. It is capable of flying for up to four hours while scanning for radio frequencies at distances of up to 15.5 miles.

The drone is designed to fly at speeds up to 136 mph, weighs approximately 440 pounds, and has a maximum range of 170 miles.

By Tamilla Hasanova