On March 15 at 17:00, a forest fire broke out in Baizi Village, Jiapa Town, Yajiang County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province. As of March 17, due to sudden strong winds and unpredictable wind directions, the fire has spread in multiple directions, forming three major fire zones. Firefighting efforts have encountered great difficulties. The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched the Wing Loong-2 UAV independently developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (hereinafter referred to as AVIC) to provide emergency assistance, carrying out disaster reconnaissance and communication support tasks.
After the fire broke out, under the overall deployment of the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Aviation Industry UAV team quickly initiated the emergency response mechanism and formed a special working group to conduct tasks including airspace application, route creation, and mission assessment.
At 18:00 on the 18th, according to the takeoff order, the Wing Loong II UAV took off from Zigong Lantian Airport, flew to Yajiang County, Sichuan Province, to carry out the emergency disaster relief mission, and landed safely at 12:00 on the 19th, with a cumulative flight time of 18 hours. three fire sites were comprehensively detected, and the "three-network access" signals in five task areas were continuously restored, covering a total area of 1,200 square kilometers, with an average of 50 to 60 users accessing the network every minute, effectively supporting firefighting and rescue work.
Wing Loong II Drone Maintainers Prepare for Operations
Mission Overview
During the mission, the Wing Loong II drone served as an aerial base station, effectively ensuring 14 hours of communication signals and providing crucial communication support for rescue operations.
Terrain and Environmental Challenges
The fire occurred in a mountainous region with steep terrain. The average altitude of the fire zone was 2,600 meters, with slopes reaching 70-80 degrees. Harsh conditions, including limited visibility at night and dense smoke, made it challenging for personnel to access the area and conduct reconnaissance.
Drone's Reconnaissance Capabilities
Equipped with specialized payloads, including electro-optical equipment and synthetic aperture radar, the Wing Loong II drone conducted multispectral and comprehensive reconnaissance of three fire zones under challenging conditions.
Communication and Data Transmission
By transmitting real-time data and high-definition imagery to the emergency rescue command center, the drone enabled seamless communication and visual command between the field and response teams. This bridge of information solved the challenges of accessing the disaster zone and transmitting crucial information.
Essential Support for Decision-Making
The data collected by the drone provided vital information for identifying risk areas, monitoring fire progression, and guiding targeted rescue and firefighting operations.
According to the report, the Wing Loong II UAV used in the mission has the features of long range, long endurance, heavy lift, and strong adaptability to environments. It can conduct routine flights and fulfill missions such as multispectral disaster site reconnaissance and emergency networking for public and private networks in winds from force 8 to 10. It can restore public network access to a specific area of 50 square kilometers and establish an audio-visual communications network covering 15,000 square kilometers.
The Pterodactyl-2 drone. Photo: AVIC
