The Chinese Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has built a prototype of the CH-6 armed reconnaissance drone. According to Janes, the aircraft will be shown at the Zhuhai Air Show. The CH-6 is a medium-altitude vehicle capable of flying long distances at subsonic speeds.
The Chinese Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CASC branch) began working on the creation of the CH-6 in 2019. Externally, the drone is similar to the high-altitude drone CH-5, which, in turn, resembles the American strike MQ-9 Reaper. But the tail of the CH-6 is T-shaped, and above the tail part it has two jet engines.
CH-6, #彩虹6, China's latest twin-engined long-endurance armed combat drone at #AirshowChina2021 . #珠海航展 #ZhuhaiAirShow pic.twitter.com/3ynPh2KobH
— Shenzhen Channel (@sz_mediagroup) September 26, 2021
The CH-6 could become one of the largest Chinese drones. It is assumed that its maximum take-off weight will be 7.8 tons. In the reconnaissance configuration, the device can carry up to 300 kilograms, and in the reconnaissance and strike configuration-two tons. With a length of 15 meters, the wingspan of the drone is 20.5 meters.
The maximum speed of the CH-6 will be 800 kilometers per hour, and the cruising speed will be from 500 to 700 kilometers per hour. It will be able to climb to an altitude of up to 12 kilometers and fly in a reconnaissance configuration up to 12 thousand kilometers. The armed CH-6 will have a shorter range — only 4.5 thousand kilometers.
It will be possible to install different types of payload on the drone. For example, a long-range radar station, air-to-ground missiles and bombs.
The Chinese are also developing other drones. For example, the WJ-700 jet strike, which we wrote about earlier. It weighs 3.5 tons and can stay in the air for up to 20 hours.
Vasilisa Chernyavtseva