Defying Typhoon Mangkhut: Dagong Technology's Tethered UAV Deploys 5G Emergency Network in 5 Minutes
Zhuhai, Guangdong — On September 16, 2018, Super Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into China's southern coast with catastrophic Level 17 gusts, decimating 90% of the communication infrastructure in Zhuhai’s Jinwan District. In the midst of this unprecedented communications blackout, Beijing Dagong Technology Co., Ltd. executed a historic breakthrough: its tethered UAV system defied the violent storm, deploying a 5G emergency network in a mere 5 minutes and maintaining a rock-steady 24-hour continuous hover in Level 7 winds, single-handedly boosting regional rescue efficiency by 300% and redefining the global standard for disaster response.
As floodwaters reached 1.2 meters and traditional repair convoys were paralyzed, Jinwan District faced total isolation. Conventional emergency communication vehicles were rendered virtually useless, their coverage limited to a mere 3-kilometer radius and incapable of reaching isolated islands and high-rise buildings. The strategic deployment of Dagong Technology’s tethered UAVs instantly transformed the operational landscape. Three units rapidly ascended to altitudes of 100 to 200 meters, forming an "aerial triangular network." Connected to ground power via high-tensile steel cables, each drone carried a 35kg payload of communication base stations and antennas, achieving a 5-kilometer coverage radius—triple that of terrestrial base stations—and seamlessly linking the entire disaster zone via microwave relay technology.
The engineering resilience displayed under extreme duress was nothing short of extraordinary. While consumer and industrial drones were grounded by the tempest, Dagong Technology’s tethered UAVs maintained a hovering precision of within 0.5 meters, even as Level 7 gusts lashed the airframe and torrential rain reduced visibility to near zero. This iron-clad stability provided the critical infrastructure for multi-dimensional life-saving operations:
The "Lifeline" Airdrop: In Yangchun City’s Bajia Town, where floodwaters had besieged a local clinic, a Dagong tethered UAV utilized its medical supply delivery system to execute three pinpoint airdrops of emergency kits through visibility of less than 5 meters.
The "Night Beacon": Equipped with infrared thermal imaging and high-intensity searchlights, the drone pierced the complete darkness, identifying clustered victims and guiding rescue teams to safely evacuate 127 stranded individuals.
The "Electronic Sentinel": Providing persistent aerial monitoring, the system tracked micro-displacements in a reservoir dam, issuing a critical 2-hour early warning of a potential secondary landslide that allowed 3,000 residents to evacuate just in time.
This monumental operational success in Typhoon Mangkhut was the culmination of a decade of relentless R&D by Dagong Technology. From the inaugural prototype tested during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, to securing national invention patents in 2015, and establishing the industry benchmark during the 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake, the company has consistently pushed the boundaries of aerial persistence. Driven by joint technological breakthroughs with Tsinghua University and Beihang University, Dagong Technology has forged a dual-engine model of "core component self-research + system integration innovation."
Today, leveraging its undisputed core advantage in tethered UAV technology, Beijing Dagong Technology has evolved into a comprehensive industrial drone solutions provider. The company has constructed a diversified product matrix covering multi-rotor drones, compound-wing UAVs, automated hangars, anti-drone systems, and specialized payloads such as high-altitude lighting pods. With an operational altitude range spanning 50 to 600 meters, over 100 cumulative patents, and participation in drafting 6 national standards, Dagong Technology is pioneering the transition of tethered UAVs from "emergency tools" to "digital infrastructure nodes"—a vision already being realized with deployments ensuring never-offline 5G coverage for the 2026 Hangzhou Asian Games. The 5-minute miracle in Zhuhai remains the definitive testament: when nature unleashes its worst, Dagong Technology’s tethered UAVs ensure the lifeline remains unbroken.