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Stephen Chen

China has started commercial production of its deadliest drone for overseas users, and it could be a rival to US remotely piloted vehicles, according to a Chinese drone researcher.
Wang Song, an associate professor with the school of aeronautic science and engineering at Beihang University, said the first flight of a mass-produced CH-5 Rainbow on Friday last week meant China was ready to offer international buyers a heavy military drone with performance equalling that of the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, but at around half the cost.
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The Rainbow flight was conducted at a military airport in Hebei province, according to Xinhua. Unlike with a test flight two years ago, the aircraft that was flown was a production model, the state news agency said.


The Reaper, or Predator B, was the world’s first unmanned aerial vehicle that could attack targets on the ground. At US$16.9 million, according to a 2013 US budget report, it was also the world’s most expensive drone.
“The CH-5 may come in at less than half of the price,” said Wang, who was deputy chief designer of a Chinese military drone but not directly involved in the Rainbow project.
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The Rainbow series, ranging from the tiny model 1 to the three-tonne model 5, was developed and produced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the company behind the space programme. Rainbows have been sold to more than a dozen countries, with annual production exceeding 200 units, and are the “most popular military drones in the world”, according to the company’s website.
However, the initial output of the CH-5 would be relatively small, Wang said. It could be more than 10 units a year, but was unlikely to exceed 20 due to the size and sophistication of the aircraft.
“This should meet the early demand,” Wang said.
The Rainbows are mainly for the overseas market. 
In 2015, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence released a video showing a missile attack on an Islamic State target by a CH-4B drone, which is just a third of the size of the CH-5.
The CH-5 can carry up to 16 air-to-ground missiles and stay in the air for nearly two days, said Shi Wen, the chief designer of the drone, in an interview with Global Times last year.
After being modified for certain missions, it can fly for up to 120 hours, giving it a range of more than 10,000km.
This endurance enabled the drone to fly to a target 3,000km away and stay overhead for up to 20 hours, Shi told the state-run newspaper.
Such performance “leaves the Predator series in the dust”, he added.
China restricts exports of ‘high performance’ drones as national security fears heighten
The CH-5 has other advantages. For instance, it could be operated by an undergraduate student with basic knowledge of aviation after only one or two days of training, according to state media reports. This was because of the simplicity of its user interface, and the fact that operations like take-off and landing could be automated.
The drone can also be modified to be a low-cost airborne early warning system, or equipped with high-tech sensors such as wall and ground-penetrating radars developed by China.
However, Wang said the Chinese drone had a weakness compared to its American counterparts. The Reaper can climb to a height of between 12,000 and 15,000 metres. This allows the US drone to stay above the reach of most ground fire.
The CH-5, on the other hand, cannot operate at more than 9,000 metres, which makes it vulnerable to some anti-aircraft weaponry.
The limited ceiling of the Rainbow is a by-product of its relatively weak engine, according to Wang, who noted that China still lagged behind the West in aircraft engine technology.
“This is in fact the weakness of all China-made aeroplanes,” he said.


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China’s military

China unveils its answer to US Reaper drone - how does it compare?

CH-5 Rainbow has long range and carries a strong punch, with Beijing aiming to sell the unmanned aerial vehicle for half the price of American-made top-seller

A Textron Flight Systems drone Aerosonde MK 4.7G is displayed at the 50th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Thursday June 20, 2013. And in background the Predator B drone. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)

The CH-5 Rainbow is prepared for its trial flight in north China’s Hebei province on Friday. Photo: Xinhua

China restricts exports of 'high performance' drones as national security fears heighten

China successfully tested its first stealth attack drone, the Lijian unmanned combat aerial vehicle, on November 21, 2013. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Military and commercial drones for civilian use are playing a bigger role in the US and China alike. Photo: Reuters

Xi Jinping walks past honour guards in Beijing with a foreign dignitary. The Chinese president has been bolstering the military's capability since he rose to power. Photo: Reuters

An unmanned drone is tested during a campaign for disaster prevention and reduction in Beijing in June. China forbids any flights, manned or unmanned, without prior approval from its air force, civil aviation authorities and the local air traffic control bureau. Photo: AFP

DJI's public relations manager Michael Perry demonstrates a remote control helicopter called the DJI Inspire 1 in Shenzhen. The world's biggest drone maker said it will not be affected by the restrictions on exports. Photo: Dickson Lee

China boosts arms exports by 74pc, while cutting reliance on outside providers, report finds

Chinese soldiers march during a military parade in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 3, 2015. China is the third-largest arms supplier in the world, following the United States and Russia. Photo: AFP

People's Liberation Army Navy troops drive armored vehicles through Tiananmen Square in Bejing on Sept. 3, during a parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. | REUTERS

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CH-5 Rainbow has long range and carries a strong punch, with Beijing aiming to sell the unmanned aerial vehicle for half the price of American-made top-seller


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