China Allows Export of New Unmanned Combat Drone

China has allowed the export of an unmanned combat drone that can carry between 16 and 24 air-to-surface missiles at a time and stay in the air for 60 hours at a stretch.

The export licence for the CH-5, the latest from the Caihong family designed by the state run China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, comes as Beijing seeks to expand the international sales of its military drones, which already extends to 10 nations. "Several nations have expressed intentions to purchase the CH-5," said Shi Wen, chief designer of the Caihong, or Rainbow, at CAAA.

Shi said the CH-5 was better than the American MQ-9 Reaper "because it surpasses the latter's flight duration and operational efficiency". He added that the CH-5 could operate at an altitude of up to 10 km and fly as far as 6,500 km. An upgrade would enable it to fly up to 10,000 km, he added. "The CH-5 is capable of a joint strike with its predecessors, the CH-3 and CH-4, because they can share the same data link and control system," Shi said.

Pakistan, which faces an urgent need to deal with terrorists, may buy CH-5, which might persuade India to expand its drone capability, observers said. Pakistan and Iraq are known to have used Chinese drones to target militants. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Nigeria and Somalia imported the CH-3 and CH-4.