The first example of China’s mysterious CH-7 stealthy flying-wing drone seems to have been revealed, although with a somewhat different look compared to previous mockups, and a very impressive size. This points to China’s accelerated efforts to develop low-observable, long-endurance drones and while this one appears to be tailored for intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR), there have long been claims that it will also undertake strike missions as an uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).
Video and stills released by Chinese state media today show the drone on a so-far unidentified runway, taxiing down it day and night — although we don’t see it in the air. The yellow-colored coat of primer is frequently seen on Chinese aircraft during its test phase. Meanwhile, a pair of apparent air data probes on the leading edges of the wing point to this being a prototype or perhaps a pre-production machine.
At this point, it should be stressed that we don’t know for sure that this is the CH-7, but it certainly seems like the best fit and has been identified as such by various Chinese aerospace observers. There is also a possibility that we are seeing computer-generated images, or at least computer-enhanced ones, but there is nothing that would point conclusively to this being the case at this time.
Developed by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), specifically by its 11th Research Institute, the CH-7 (or Caihong-7, meaning Rainbow-7) is a high-altitude UCAV that is widely understood to be optimized for penetrating deep into hostile airspace. It would achieve this through a combination of a low-observable (stealth) design and flying at very high altitudes, leading it to operate for extended periods of time without ever being detected.
The CH-7 has also gone through several different iterations since it was first revealed, with the design being progressively adapted.
The drone was first unveiled in the form of a full-scale mockup at Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai. At this point, it looked very much like a Chinese clone of the Northrop Grumman X-47B UCAV, with the same modified ‘cranked kite’ wing, although it featured canted wingtips instead of the triangular wingtip edges found on the U.S. aircraft.
By the time the CH-7 appeared again in model from at Zhuhai, for Airshow China 2022, it now had redesigned wing flaps, sharper canted wingtips, and a longer central engine nacelle hump.
In the process, the dimensions of the drone also changed. In its 2018 form, published figures included a wingspan of 22 meters (72 feet), while the 2022 model represented a drone with a wingspan of 26 meters (85 feet).
Other published specifications, which remain provisional, include a length of 10 meters (33 feet), a maximum takeoff weight of 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds), a maximum speed of 926 km/h (575 mph), and an endurance of up to 15 hours. These all apply to the 2022 version of the drone.
Otherwise, key features of the CH-7 include a dorsally-mounted intake for a so-far unidentified turbofan engine and an internal payload bay for weapons and sensors.
In the latest video, the drone’s wing appears less sharply swept than on the 2022 model. It also seems that the drone has grown in size, at least based on a rough comparison of the landing gear and the engine exhaust aperture with those on the mock-ups.
Notable features when looking at the rear aspect of the drone in its latest version include prominent gaps inboard of the trailing-edge flaps, where the wing meets the blended body section. It is likely a temporary configuration and a gap-filler would fill this section. A slot-like low-observable platypus engine exhaust, with the nozzle fully concealed from most angles of view is also visible. Engine exhausts are among the most notoriously complicated elements of developing any stealth aircraft, crewed or uncrewed, something that we have seen played out in the development of the Russian S-70 Okhotnik-B, or Hunter-B UCAV, another flying wing design with clear stealth aspirations.
Interestingly, the CH-7 in its latest form bears a striking resemblance to at least some unofficial artwork of the U.S. Air Force’s secretive so-called RQ-180, a high-altitude, long-endurance stealth drone that you can read more about here. While we know very little about the RQ-180 — even its designation is unconfirmed — it’s almost certainly a large, flying-wing aircraft with slender wings and an overall design based around very low-observable (stealth) requirements.
Back in 2018, a corporate video from CASC said the CH-7 was due to begin flight tests in 2019, with production to commence by 2022 — although it’s unclear if either of these targets were met. On the other hand, it’s also possible that imagery released today dates back several years.
Earlier this year, Chinese state-owned media reported the CH-7 had completed testing and was scheduled to complete development in 2024. This would suggest it had also completed the flight-test program, something we’re yet to see evidence of.
China has meanwhile been busy with a growing portfolio of stealthy drones, developing new ones as well as refining the low-observable characteristics of existing platforms like the GJ-11 Sharp Sword, testing of which continues apace. But the CH-7 program is of particular interest since it is concerned with a UCAV that’s apparently designed to penetrate deep into hostile airspace at high altitudes. According to official statements, it should also be able to strike strategic targets, as well as bring back critical intelligence.
When it was unveiled, the CH-7 was described as a high-altitude, long-endurance stealth combat drone. Its chief designer Shi Wen said the aircraft would be able to “fly long hours, scout, and strike the target when necessary.”
However, in its current iteration, the ISR mission appears to be the primary one. This is backed up by the high-altitude specification, which would make the drone ideal for peering into very high defended areas — and also strike targets of opportunity if configured to do so.
A production version of the CH-7 would also appear to have particular relevance in a naval context, as it could range far out over the Pacific, keeping tabs on enemy ships and providing targeting data for ground-based long-range missiles, for example, as well as missile-toting warships and bombers.
Once again, this underscores the fact that China has embraced the concept of very stealthy uncrewed aircraft for independent strike missions, a category of platform that is, as far as we know, absent from the U.S. military. You can read all about the implications of this reality in this special feature of ours.
While the CH-7 will very likely find a place within the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) order of battle, it’s also very noteworthy that the design — like the rest of the diverse Caihong series — has also been pitched for export. It isn’t clear if this enlarged variant would still be up for international sale, but if it is, it would offer a capability nobody else is selling on the advanced arms market.
In the past, and despite questions being raised about the quality of certain Chinese drone exports, Beijing has firmly established itself as a major global purveyor of uncrewed air vehicles, including armed ones.
China’s ambitious positioning — and its undoubted commercial success — in this regard is all the more significant when we consider export restrictions placed on this kind of technology by the United States. In particular, the Missile Technology Control Regime limits exports of missiles and other uncrewed vehicles, meaning armed versions of the MQ-9 Reaper family, for example, are only sold to the closest U.S. allies.
The United States, and other Western nations, are not currently able to offer for export a stealthy UCAV like the CH-7, even if the political conditions were met. For China, this is not a problem, although we don’t know exactly how long it will take to complete development of the CH-7, much less get it into the hands of a potential customer. On the other hand, the CH-7 is a drone that’s an entirely different scale than those it has exported before, with much more advanced capabilities, which might also limit such opportunities. Ultimately, China may decide to keep its sensitive capabilities to itself. It is also possible a less capable and possibly smaller variant could be offered for export.
Whatever the status of the CH-7 program at this point, it remains highly intriguing, with the potential to provide China with a class of multi-role drones that may well not have any other direct competitor. Above all else, imagery of the drone provides yet more evidence of the China’s rapid pace of development when it comes to stealthy unmanned aircraft, as well as drones of all types.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com