CH-6 Chang Hong-6

The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, the country's largest military drone exporter by number of products sold overseas, displayed its latest product - the CH-6 multirole unmanned aircraft - at the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, September 28 to October 3, 2021. The high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV performance design is oriented to the needs of future warfare and is aimed at the high-end UAV arms sales market. It has obvious advantages in multi-purpose strikes, flight performance and battlefield survivability.

The aircraft was developed by the Eleventh Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics is a Beijing-based subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, a State-owned defense conglomerate. It started to research and develop the CH drones in 2000.

Compared with the previously released concept map, the officially released "Rainbow 6" obviously has a significant change from the concept map. The rear configuration is quite different from the earlier design. The original tail wing is similar to the "Rainbow 5"-type tail, but now changed to a high T-shaped tail, two jet engines installed on both sides of the tail. The long mid-wing wing is also a bit swept back to adapt to higher flight speeds. There is a ridge on the edge of its fuselage, and the cross-section becomes an ellipse.

With a length of 15.8 meters and a wingspan of 20.5 meters, the large drone features high-altitude flying, fast speed, strong carrying capacity and long endurance and range, said Shi Wen, chief designer of the academy's CH series.

"The CH-6 is capable of performing a wide range of tasks including high-altitude reconnaissance and airstrike, anti-submarine and sea patrol operations, long-range early warning and close-in firepower support," he said in Zhuhai. "In future combat scenarios, the drone can engage in action in groups and can also cooperate with piloted aircraft or other unmanned hardware to conduct various types of operations."

Designed for future warfare, the new model shows that the CH family has obtained high-speed operational capability at high altitudes, Shi said, noting that it targets the high-end arms market and will soon be available to buyers around the world.

Propelled by two turbofan engines, a CH-6 has a maximum takeoff weight of 7.8 metric tons, and is able to carry 450 kilograms of equipment and ammunition including electrooptical sensors, radars and missiles. It can fly up to 700 kilometers per hour in a typical cruise flight and can stay in the air as long as 21 hours at a slower, more fuel-efficient speed, according to the drone's technical specifications.

With the advantages of high altitudes and speeds, including a service ceiling of 15 kilometers and a top speed of 700 kilometers an hour, the CH-6 can effectively avoid the threats from ground-based air defense fire. Even if one engine fails, the other will be enough to bring the drone back to base. This means that the UAV has high survivability, and it can conduct persistent reconnaissance, surveillance, tracking and attack missions, analysts said. The drone can also carry out anti-submarine missions, maritime patrols, early warning missions and close-range air support, the company said.

CH-6 can carry traditional air-to-surface missiles and precision-guided bombs, as well as small and medium-sized cruise missiles and anti-radiation missiles. It has long-range ground strike capability outside the defense zone, and can also perform air defense suppression tasks, greatly expanding the UAV field of battle.

The CH-6 is designed with the concept of modularization, and parts including engines, wings and payloads can be easily changed, the company said. For instance, the turbofan engines can be replaced by turboprop engines, spawning a variant also with outstanding performances instantly. One of the biggest advantages of the aircraft is that, while boasting high performance, it is easy to maintain and support, and that it is very reliable and ready to sortie more often than not, Shi Wen, chief engineer and designer of the CH drone series, told the Global Times on 27 September 2021.