China has resurrected the most crazy plane of the USSR. The Ekranoplano returns to life, and the big question is why

In 2020 he went viral A video Through a drone that was recording images of a beach in the Caspian Sea. Suddenly, the clip showed one of the greatest fantasies of Soviet aviation: An ekranoplano Varado, a unique piece of the so -called Cold War as “marine monster” that never occurred in mass due to its costs (and benefits). Five years later, a nation has resurrected the idea of ​​the great hybrid between plane and ship: China.

Emerging silhouette. Yes, because for the first time, they have emerged Complete images of the new soil effect vehicle (Wig) Chinese, an aircraft capable of flying at low altitude on aquatic surfaces using the so -called “air mattress efficiency.”

The device was initially identified by the naval analyst Hi Suttonand its presence in the Bahai Sea, northwest of the Yellow Sea, has not gone unnoticed. In the first photographs, part of its structure remained hidden, but the new shots have revealed Your full silhouetteconfirming its configuration as a large ekranoplane with a hidravion helmet.

Amazing design. Its development, unknown so far in the Chinese aeronautical inventory, keeps a certain resemblance to The AG600the amphibious hydroavion that China develops For rescue, refueling and logistics missions in the disputed sea of ​​southern China.

The appearance of this vehicle feeds the growing global trend to revitalize the soil effect platforms, technology that, as we said at the beginning, the Soviet Union He thoroughly explored during The cold war but that never became popular outside its experimental margins.

Between the shadow and the radar. The operational principle of these aircraft is simple and shocking: fly to a very low height On water it allows to take advantage of a dense layer of compressed air that increases support and reduces resistance. In addition, when staying below the terrestrial radar horizon, these vehicles are more difficult to detect and track. Unlike ships, they are not vulnerable to mines or submarines, and although they are not suitable for highly answered combat areas, they could effectively operate in coastal or semi-permissive scenarios.

Its possible utility, let’s put the assumption of a war between China and the United States, would be significant, especially considering that China would fight in its own geographical environment immediate. The EkranoPlano would serve as a logistics platform to bring supplies to remote coastal areas, evacuate personnel or even fulfill anti -submarine war and limited maritime control functions, thanks to its ability to quickly insert itself into remote areas and return without the need for port infrastructure.

Propulsion, design and doubts. One of the great unknowns posed by this new vehicle is its propulsion system. The available images, although of low resolution, show a kind of Large rear tobares that have raised speculations about whether it is an aircraft with reaction engines, with propellers not yet installed or, even, with an unpublished hybrid-electric system.

The NACELLES They present air tickets at the top that could point towards a bimotor design With turboreactor propulsionbut the presence of possible axes or pointed structures on the front suggest that it could be equipped with great thrust propellers to install.

Nothing is confirmed. The current versions of this device They could be prototypes Technological demonstration, subscales aimed at informing future developments, or operational models in a stealth test phase. The possibility of using latest generation composite materials to reduce weight, improve aerodynamics and decrease radar signature reinforces the hypothesis of a modern and highly specialized design.

New mobility paradigm. Plus: The profile of the new Chinese EkranoPlano shows clear similarities with The Liberty Lifterthe great American project for a Heavy load wig. Both share a conception based on high efficiency platforms to operate on vast oceanic extensions without depending on aerodromes, tracks or ports. The Chinese apparatus presents a V -tail, a typical staging fuselage of hydroAvions, stabilizing floats at the ends of the wings and in the center of the helmet, and a large side door that makes it suitable for transport personnel or materials.

Its nose, stylized and aerodynamically integrated, also suggests special attention to functional design. This set of characteristics reinforces the theory that China could be developing a versatile and tactical platform to operate in Coastal environments playedespecially in the context of a sea of ​​increasingly militarized southern China.

What will come. The public appearance of Now called “Monster of the Bohai Sea”, as the first naval analysts have baptized it, opens the door to intensive monitoring by experts and Western agencies. As lighter images arise and possibly videos of their first tests in the open sea, the analysis will be refined and the evaluation of its potential will pass from the speculative to the doctrinal.

For now, its single existence implies that China, like other powers, is seriously investing in asymmetric capacities that Challenge the limitations traditional logistics. This EkranoPlano is not yet a strategic threat by itself, but represents a clear symbol of Beijing’s technological and military ambition: fast, stealthy mobility, close to its coasts and out of the immediate reach of conventional western detection or deterrence tools.

Image | Wikimedia Commons, x

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