New images from a Shanghai shipyard suggest Chinese engineers are developing a novel, truck-based electromagnetic catapult system for launching stealth drones. Pictures from the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard show mysterious eight-wheeled trucks and catapult-capable drone mockups, potentially aligning with concepts publicly promoted by Chinese firm Tiantao Technology for a modular, mobile launch system that could operate far from traditional runways.
Could a convoy of trucks soon form a makeshift airbase, catapulting combat drones into the sky from a remote highway or island? That’s the compelling question raised by a series of images circulating from a key Chinese naval shipyard. The photos, analyzed by defense observers, show several intriguing elements parked on a pier: low-observable drone mockups with clear catapult launch bars and a chain of specialized, eight-wheeled trucks with open sides revealing complex electrical wiring and cylindrical drums. When aligned, these trucks form a continuous flat surface, with one drone’s nose gear visibly locked into a shuttle-like fixture on the rear vehicle.
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This peculiar setup has sparked analysis that China may be experimenting with a ground-based electromagnetic catapult (EMALS) system built into modular truck segments. The concept isn’t entirely new—U.S. company General Atomics has previously proposed similar ideas leveraging technology from U.S. Navy Ford-class aircraft carriers. However, visual evidence of a potential Chinese prototype brings the concept from the drawing board into tangible reality. A ground-based EMALS would offer a significant tactical advantage: the ability to launch larger, heavier drones from virtually anywhere, bypassing the need for vulnerable, fixed-runway airbases.
The drones in the images share a striking resemblance to known Chinese unmanned designs. They bear a close likeness to the FH-97, a “loyal wingman” type drone displayed at the 2021 Zhuhai Airshow, which itself draws clear inspiration from the American Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie. The presence of these drones near the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan, a vessel known to be fitted with an electromagnetic catapult, initially pointed to naval testing. However, the configuration of the trucks suggests a parallel, land-based application is being explored, reported The War Zone (TWZ), which first published the analysis.
The potential link to a commercial Chinese enterprise is a critical piece of the puzzle. Since at least August of this year, Tiantao Technology has openly promoted renderings of a modular, wheeled electromagnetic catapult system. The company’s concepts show segments that lock together to form a launch track, explicitly designed to launch uncrewed aircraft. While Tiantao’s renderings depict 10-wheeled vehicles different from the eight-wheeled trucks in the shipyard photos, the core modular principle appears identical. Tiantao Technology has stated its system could be scaled between 20 and 60 meters (65 and 196 feet) in length and could launch drones weighing up to 2.2 tons (2 metric tons)
Why would China’s military want such a system? The operational benefits are multifaceted. For the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which envisions complex island-hopping campaigns in the Pacific and operations in the high-altitude Himalayas along the border with India, the ability to generate airpower without fixed runways is a game-changer. A mobile EMALS could be rapidly deployed, dispersed when not in use to avoid targeting, and provide a high sortie rate due to the fast reset time of electromagnetic systems. It would allow heavier drones with greater payloads and endurance to operate from austere locations closer to the frontline, a capability currently limited to smaller, rocket-launched drones.
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Significant questions remain, however. Power generation for such a system is a major logistical hurdle, though a land-based system launching only drones would have far lower energy demands than a full aircraft carrier catapult. Recovery of the drones is another challenge; the system would likely need to be paired with an arrested landing system, or the drones would need to land via parachute or at distant, conventional airfields. Furthermore, the wisdom of placing highly complex, sensitive electrical systems on exposed, mobile platforms in a combat environment is an open debate.
The appearance of this equipment at a public shipyard just before the New Year is itself a notable signal. As The War Zone report notes, major Chinese military capabilities often emerge during this period with the tacit approval of Beijing. While the trucks could still be elaborate transporters, their design seems excessively complex for that role alone. Whether this is a Tiantao Technology prototype, a PLA project, or a combination of both, the imagery underscores China’s vigorous investment in flexible, disruptive launch technologies. If realized, a truck-mounted EMALS wouldn’t just launch drones—it could launch a new era of distributed, runway-independent air operations.
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