TheCH-3 is a fixed-wingunmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).[6] It first flew in 2007. The CH-3 has a 70 kg payload,[7] and can carry theAR-1 air-to-ground missile andFT-9 guided bomb.[8]
The PakistaniNESCOM Burraq may be based on the CH-3; the Burraq is armed with the Burq missile, which may be based on the AR-1.[9]
Externally, the CH-4 looks almost identical to theGeneral Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, with the only distinct visual difference between the two UAVs being theventral fin below theV-tail on MQ-9 which is absent on the CH-4.[10][11][12] There are two versions, theCH-4A andCH-4B. The CH-4A is a reconnaissance drone (capable of a 3500–5000 km range and a 30- to 40-hour endurance life) while the CH-4B is a mixed attack and reconnaissance system with provisions for 6 weapons and a payload of up to 250 to 345 kg.
CH-4 is capable of firing air-to-ground missiles from an altitude of 5,000 meters (~16,400 feet), meaning the aircraft is capable of staying outside the effective range of most anti-aircraft guns. It also allows the CH-4 to be able to fire from a position that provides a wider area of view.[13]
The CH-5 is a large UAV with a wingspan of 21 metres, a payload of 1,000 kg, amaximum takeoff weight of over 3 tonnes, a service ceiling of 9 km, an endurance life of up to 60 hours,[20] and a range of 10,000 km. Thanks to a shared data link system, it can cooperate with CH-3 and CH-4 drones. It conducted its maiden flight in August 2015[21] at its first airshow flight (in northernHebei province) in July 2017.[20] The drone can carry a maximum of 16 missiles at a single time. There were also plans to extend its range up to 20,000 km.[22] Chinese officials claimed the CH-5 Rainbow was similar in performance to the USMQ-9 Reaper and "may come in at less than half the price". Compared to theGarrett TPE331turboprop engine mounted on the Reaper, the CH-5 is equipped with an unidentified turbo-charged piston engine with less than half thehorsepower. This design consideration limits the maximum altitude of the CH-5 to 9 km compared to the 12–15 km of the Reaper, but it also extends CH-5's endurance life to 60 hours compared to the Reaper's 14 hours.
A more recent engine variant, with a 300 kW piston engine from Anhui Hangrui Co., will increase the service ceiling to 12 km and the endurance life to 120 hours.[23]
Armaments: AR-1 missile, AR-2 missile (20 kg, 5 kg armour-piercing warhead, inertial guidance system with terminal semi-active laser (SAL) seeker, maximum range 8 km)[18]
The CH-6 is a large UAV with aMTOW of 7800 kg with two variants: a strike variant with an 18-hour endurance life and a 450 kg payload; a reconnaissance variant with a 21-hour endurance life and a 120 kg payload. It was in development in 2021.[24]
The CH-7 is astealth,flying wingUCAV similar to theX-47B, with a 22m wingspan and a 10m length. It can fly at 920 km/h and an altitude of 13,000m. The endurance life is around 15 hours with an operational radius of 2000 km.[25] It can carry antiradiation missiles and standoff weapons.[26][27][28] According to its chief designer, "the CH-7 can intercept radar electronic signals, and simultaneously detect, verify and monitor high-value targets, such as hostile command stations, missile launch sites, and naval vessels". It was planned to make its maiden flight in 2019 and commence production from 2022.[25] A live airframe was spotted in 2024.[29][30]
The CH-91 is a fixed-wing UAV with atwin-boom layout and aninverted v-tail with a pair of skids acting as the landing gear. Propulsion is provided by a two-blade propeller driven by a pusher engine mounted at the rear end of the fuselage.[33][34] The CH-91 is mainly intended for reconnaissance and surveillance missions.[35] It is also known as the BZK-008.
CH-92 is a fixed-wing UAV in the conventionalV-tail layout with a tricycle landing gear. Propulsion is provided by a propeller driven by a pusher engine mounted at theempennage. The CH-92 is mainly intended for reconnaissance, surveillance, and attack missions.[35][36]
The CH-802 is a fixed-wingmicro air vehicle (MAV) in the conventional layout with an elevated high-wing configuration andV-tail. The CH-802 has a cylindrical fuselage with propulsion being provided by a two-blade propeller driven by a tractor brushless electric motor atop the fuselage.[37][38] The CH-803 is mainly intended for reconnaissance and surveillance missions.[35] The CH-802 program began in 2007 and was completed in 2008.
The CH-803 is a fixed-wing UAV with a cylindrical fuselage andcanards, but without thetailplane. Propulsion is provided by a two-blade propeller driven by a tractor engine mounted in the nose. Another unique feature of the CH-803 is that it adopts aforward-swept wing.[39] The CH-803 is mainly intended for reconnaissance and surveillance missions.[35] The CH-803 program began in 2008 and was completed in 2011.
TheCH-901 is a fixed-wing UAV in the conventional layout with a cylindrical fuselage and a high-wing configuration. Propulsion is provided by a two-blade propeller driven by a pusher engine mounted at the end ofempennage.[41] The CH-901 is designed as aUCAV.[35][42]
Iraqi Armed Forces: 12 CH-4 (as of 2023)[62] Deliveries started by 2015. Put into storage in 2017. In 2019, one was "fully mission capable" and the rest were grounded due to maintenance problems.[45] The CH-5 was on order in 2024.[63]
Nigerian Air Force: 1+ CH-3 (as of 2023.)[65] One crashed in January 2015. The UAVs were operated infrequently due to poor quality. In 2020, another eight in delivery.[6]
^abcFunaiole, Matthew P.; Bermudez, Joseph S. Jr.; Kurata, Katherine (6 May 2021)."Tatmadaw Deploys Chinese-Made UAVs".Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved4 December 2024.
^"国产最大察打一体无人机"彩虹"5号首飞成功" [China's biggest success with unmanned aerial vehicle "Rainbow" on the 5th flight].Phoenix News (in Chinese). China. 2015-08-30. Retrieved2017-07-18.
^Li, Christina (1 April 2017)."UAE's Increasing Role in China's Security Calculus"(PDF).ISPSW Strategy Series: Focus on Defense and International Security.In Yemen, the UAE is already using China's Wing Loong drones in its campaign against al Qaeda, and recently purchased the CH-4 drones
