China begins commercial production of drone that rivals US MQ-9 Reaper

Beijing: China has started commercial production of its CH-5 Rainbow drone, touted to be a rival to the US unmanned aerial vehicle MQ-9 Reaper, which could attack targets on the ground.

Wang Song, an associate professor with the school of aeronautic science and engineering at China's Beihang University, said the first flight of a mass-produced CH-5 Rainbow, a heavy military drone on Friday last week meant signals China's readiness to export it.

He said the drones equals that of the US General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper but at around half the cost.

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, Wang was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post today.

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.

United States Reaper, or Predator B, was the world's first unmanned aerial vehicle that could attack targets on the ground. At USD 16.9 million, United States Reaper is the world's most expensive drone.

"The CH-5 may come in at less than half of the price," Wang said.

State-run CGTN TV also showed a video of the CH-5 destroying targets.

On July 14, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported that mass-production model of China's unmanned aerial vehicle CH-5, or "Rainbow 5", completed its trial flight in north China's Hebei Province.

It can conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, patrol, target positioning and strike missions, Shi Wen, chief engineer of the Rainbow drone project at the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics told the news agency.

"We've made several modifications after its debut, and its comprehensive functions are among the world's best," Shi Wen claimed.

The CH-5 has a wingspan of 21 meters and is capable of carrying up to 1,000 kg of equipment. It can stay in the air for 60 hours with a range of more than 10,000 kilometres, Shi said.

The CH-5 can also be used for civilian purposes such as resource surveying, marine environmental protection, disaster survey, marine law enforcement and emergency responses, Shi said.

"We will conduct more trial flights and might add fine changes to meet needs of various customers. We believe it will be a success in domestic and international markets," he added.