The online retailer will build a drone logistics network in China and a research and development campus in partnership with the Xi’an National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base, where unmanned aircraft systems will be developed, tested and manufactured.
China’s largest retailer, JD.com, reached an agreement with the provincial government of Shaanxi to build the country’s largest low-altitude drone logistics network, the company said Monday.
The drone logistics network will span a 300-kilometer radius, and will include hundreds of routes and drone air bases throughout the entire province.
Heavy-load drones are expected to be able to carry over a ton, according to JD.
In addition, JD will establish a research and development campus in partnership with the Xi’an National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base (XCAIB), where unmanned systems will be developed, manufactured and tested.
The campus will feature a global headquarters for JD Logistics, a center for unmanned systems, and a facility for JD’s cloud computing and big data operations. XCAIB will provide 5 kilometers of pipeline airspace, 1,500 square meters of drone research and development space, and over 30 acres for flight tests.
JD.com has sights set on drones
