On June 28, the national maneuvering observation service was officially kicked off with the delivery of two large atmospheric exploration high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) called Haiyan, in Zigong, Sichuan, as well as the successful maiden flight of meteorological precision vertical detection over the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

At 10:39 am on the same day, Haiyan-I UAV took off from Lantian Airport, Zigong，successfully reached the mission area, carried out the meteorological refined vertical detection mission, dropped six sondes, and smoothly completed the maiden flight of the national maneuvering observation service.

The two UAVs are characterized by high flight height, long endurance, strong operation ability in complex environment, etc. They are equipped with meteorological loads such as airborne sounding system, which can continuously carry out atmospheric vertical profile detection in specific environments, and solve the problem of meteorological data blank areas and insufficient observation data in complex environments. It provides first-hand meteorological information for important weather processes such as southwest vortex, plateau meteorology, ocean (typhoon), weather and climate sensitive area observation, emergency support and meteorological disaster prevention and reduction.

In the future, the application scenarios of large high-altitude UAVs will be increasingly extensive, and can be an important means to make up for the blank area of meteorological observation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the lack of conventional observation of typhoons, mountain floods, and mountain fires.", According to Mr. LI Liangxu, Director of China Meteorological Administration CMA Meteorological Observation Centre.

Editor: Liu Shuqiao