China deploys smog-fighting anti-pollution drones

China has taken the next step in its fight to combat the nation's air pollution problem, with the successful deployment of smog-fighting drones, which aim to clean up the air in its major cities.

The country's government, along with state-owned firm Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), successfully tested the unmanned vehicles last week at an airport in central China's Hubei province.

Known as the Parafoil plane, the drone is fitted to a gliding parachute and can carry 700kg of smog-clearing chemicals that can be used within a 5km radius - up to three times the cargo weight of common planes, while being easier to manoeuvre .

It works by spraying a chemical catalyst, which reacts with the particles in the smog and freezes the pollutants, which then drop to the ground.

The soft-wing unmanned aerial vehicle is believed to cost around 90 per cent less than fixed-wing drones currently used to clear the smog and be an attractive alternative to the aeroplanes and fixed-wing drones that China has long used to spray the chemicals in the air.

According to the developers, the Parafoil is more accurate, easier to control and has no complicated landing requirements, with engineer Guo Haijun noting that the UAV could fly an accurate route even through thick fog.

It is also versatile, and could be used to conduct agricultural seeding, emergency rescue and other tasks, according to AVIC chief executive Ma Yongsheng, who pointed out the absence of any complicated landing requirements, which makes it suitable for airport and port conditions.

It represents China's latest effort to combat the perennial problem of air pollution in the country - an issue that has gained such gravitas that the country's Premier recently declared "war" on air pollution and vowed to take substantial measures to combat the problem and lessen the detrimental impact on China's citizens and visitors.