Hope and concerns for civilian drone industry

In June 2011, a civilian drone base was built in southwest China's Guizhou province.

The State Oceanic Administration plans to build 11 drone bases for marine surveillance along the country's coastline by 2015.

The market capacity of civilian drones in China, though still at an early stage, has already absorbed tens of millions of dollars, said Wei Yiyin, head of the Third Institute of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.

Wei's institute, also known as China Aviation Technology Research Institute, is seen as the cradle of China's winged missiles. The missiles are similar to drones in certain technological aspects.

The institute, with some leading technologies, launched a company producing drones in December. The company currently offers six series of drones.

Experts believe that the next five to ten years will be the prime time for the industry.

However, there may be concerns ahead.

For instance, unlike the organized practices of traditional military or official drone research agencies, no rules regulating the manufacture, application, and marketing of civilian drones have been mapped out by the government so far.

"Many enterprises assemble drones just like assembling computer components," said Wang Jidong, deputy director of the helicopter institute of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Since the drones do not require an airworthiness certification at the moment, private capital from home and overseas have flocked into the field hoping for quick returns.

But lack of governance in the industry could lead to high costs and low penetration of civilian drones, said Wang.

"Only when breakthroughs are achieved in key technologies could the civilian drone market be popularized, which should be based on a series of solid research," he said.