China unveils new CH-5 Rainbow-5 armed drone capable of staying in the air for up to 120 hours 10911162

 
AirShow China 2016 news show daily pictures photos images video International Aviation Aerospace Defence Exhibition Chinese military industry technology Zhuhai
 
AirShow China 2016
Online Show Daily News
Aviation & Aerospace Defence Exhibition

1 - 6 November 2016
Zhuhai , China
 
CH-5 Rainbow-5 at AirShow China 2016
 
 
China unveils new CH-5 Rainbow-5 armed drone capable of staying in the air for up to 120 hours
China presents a full range of new combat drones at Zhuhai AirShow China 2016 including the CH-5 or Rainbow 5. This drone can be armed with missiles or bombs and can also carry airborne early warning systems for regional surveillance and battlefield command and control.
     
China presents a full range of new combat drones at Zhuhai AirShow China 2016 including the CH-5 or Rainbow 5. This drone can be armed with missiles or bombs and can also carry airborne early warning systems for regional surveillance and battlefield command and control.
New Chinese-made CH-5 Rainbow-5 armed combat drone at Zhuhai AirShow China 2016.
     

The CH-5 (Rainbow-5) is an unmanned aerial vehicle produced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, which was unveiled for the first time to the public during Zhuhai Air Show China 2016, said Shi Wen, chief engineer of the Rainbow-5 drone.

The CH-5 can carry up to 1,000 kilograms of equipment and weapons. It will carry 16 air-to-surface missiles when displayed at an upcoming air show, but its largest capacity is 24 missiles in a single flight, engineers at the academy said.

Compared with the United States' General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, a hunter-killer drone often deemed by Western analysts as the best of its kind, the CH-5 "can perform whatever operations the MQ-9 Reaper can, and is even better than the U.S. device when it comes to flight duration and operational efficiency," Shi said.

Twice as big as its predecessors in the Caihong family, the newest drone can stay in the air for about 60 hours and operate at an altitude of up to 10 kilometers. Its current maximum range is 6,500 kilometers, and a future upgrade will enable it to fly as far as 10,000, Shi added. He said designers plan to develop a CH-5 that will be capable of staying in the air for up to 120 hours, with a 20,000-kilometer range.

Moreover, the CH-5 is able to carry an airborne early warning system and electronic warfare instruments to collect electronic intelligence. The drone can also jam enemy communications and radars.

Even compared with its principal competitor, the U.S. General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, a hunter-killer drone, the CH-5 still has an advantage with its long flight duration and massive payload, Shi pointed out. The U.S. counterpart can only operate for 14 to 15 hours and carry six missiles.
     
China presents a full range of new combat drones at Zhuhai AirShow China 2016 including the CH-5 or Rainbow 5. This drone can be armed with missiles or bombs and can also carry airborne early warning systems for regional surveillance and battlefield command and control.