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CH-9 Rainbow-8

A series of new members of China's CH drone family, including the large-size armed reconnaissance drone CH-9 and the latest upgraded version of the stealth early-warning drone CH-7, debuted 12 November 2024 at Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province. New products also include the low-cost drone CH-3D, the cargo drone CH-YH1000, as well as a series of air-to-surface missiles.

The CH-9 is the latest entry to the CH armed reconnaissance drone series. The length of its body is about 12 meters, with a wingspan of around 25 meters. The maximum range of this large armed reconnaissance drone with weapons loaded can reach more than 11,500 kilometers and its maximum takeoff weight is 5,000 kilograms. The maximum flight time is 40 hours and the ceiling limit is 11,000 meters, the Global Times learned from the developer, Aerospace CH UAV Co Ltd. When undertaking reconnaissance and strike missions, the CH-9 has high combat capability to detect and destroy targets as it can carry a huge amount of weapons. It can also circle around in the air for a very long time over the targets, the developer said.

From the early public photos, this reconnaissance and strike drone was painted green, probably with a composite skin, and four pylons with large pods are installed under the wings. Strangely, the main wing of the drone has winglets at the wing tip, which can effectively increase lift while shortening the wingspan of the main wing. This is a very unique design among existing reconnaissance and strike drones. Judging from the appearance characteristics of the winglets at the wingtips of the main wing, this should be the Rainbow-9 large-scale reconnaissance and strike UAV newly developed by Aerospace Rainbow. It was expected that this type of UAV will be exhibited as Aerospace Rainbow's flagship product at the 2024 Zhuhai Air Show. However, whether it is a full-size hypersonic aircraft mounted on the H-6K or a pocket-sized hypersonic aircraft used on tactical aircraft, it is interesting that it can be mounted on the Rainbow-9 UAV. After all, this is just an integrated reconnaissance and strike UAV, but it can be mounted with a hypersonic aircraft for air-to-surface strikes. But judging from the performance of the Rainbow-9 UAV, it is not surprising that it can carry a hypersonic aircraft. The UAV itself is a large UAV that can be used for strategic strikes. Its flight performance is very good. The fuselage is about 14 meters long and the wingspan is about 25 meters. The maximum range under combat load exceeds 10,000 kilometers, the cruising speed is 250 kilometers per hour, the maximum hovering time is about 24 hours, and the maximum take-off weight is more than 10 tons, which has reached the level of some attack aircraft. In comparison, the MQ-9 UAV, which is now considered the mainstream reconnaissance and strike UAV, has a body length of only 10.97 meters, a wingspan of 19.51 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of only 4.54 tons, which is almost half of our Rainbow-9 UAV. Chinese drones have a large takeoff weight and a large body size, so they naturally carry a lot of things. The Rainbow-9 drone has at least three large pylons under the wings and another pylon on the centerline of the belly. The maximum external weight is more than 3 tons. Even if the pylons under the wings cannot carry something as heavy as a hypersonic aircraft, it is no problem to carry a payload of about one ton on the pylon on the centerline of the belly. Even from this photo of the Rainbow-9 participating in field research and testing, the Rainbow-9's weapons and various pod carrying capabilities are daunting. The Rainbow-9 in the photo does not have air-to-surface missiles mounted under the wings, but four square pods are mounted, and a round pod is hung on the centerline rack of the belly. We have never seen these five pods. Big Ivan tends to believe that the four square pods are electronic warfare pods, and the round pod is likely to be an anti-aircraft or even air warning radar pod. This means that the Rainbow-9 UAV can not only undertake conventional reconnaissance and strike missions, but can even serve as a long-flight electronic warfare aircraft, taking on functions such as signal reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures in the air. At the same time, it can also serve as an air defense early warning aircraft or an opposing surveillance aircraft, taking on functions such as airspace surveillance, battlefield situation awareness, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mapping. Considering the size of the radar pod mounted on the Rainbow-9 and the possible radar aperture, it is estimated that the Rainbow-9 UAV can maintain airspace surveillance and ground target mapping capabilities within a range of 200 to 300 kilometers. Among the existing reconnaissance and strike UAVs, there are not many UAVs with such performance. The Rainbow-9 UAV can be said to be the first, which can fully meet the surveillance mission of the army or even the front's battle area. In addition to the four large electronic warfare pods already hung under the Rainbow-9 UAV and the air-launched hypersonic aircraft in front, there are also some conventional aviation weapons placed in front of the wings of the Rainbow-9. Big Ivan took a rough look and could tell that some of them included the FT series precision-guided bombs developed by the Aerospace Science and Technology Group, and some that were obviously the AR series air-to-surface missiles of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group. What is puzzling is that some of the aerial weapons and ammunition on the right side of the photo seem to be rare. For example, the aerial weapon on the right side, placed in front of the Rainbow-9, seems to have straight wings and looks like a cruise missile, which may be the AR-3 heavy cruise missile produced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The range of this type of cruise missile is said to reach 100 kilometers. In addition to being able to carry out non-line-of-sight strikes, it can also serve as a loyal wingman for the Rainbow-9 drone itself and undertake auxiliary battlefield reconnaissance missions. The two missiles on the far right side of the photo are even more confusing. They look very small in diameter. As air-to-surface missiles, one can't help but wonder how lethal they are... One of the missiles has an obvious canard-wing aerodynamic design similar to an air-to-air combat missile, and there is an obvious protective cover on the head, which may be used to protect the infrared seeker. It seems that this is an obvious air-to-air combat missile. Can the Rainbow-9 UAV also carry air-to-air missiles? This seems even more surprising. However, judging from the various mounting options of the Rainbow-9 UAV, the tasks it can undertake in wartime are very diverse. Of course, it is unrealistic to expect this type of UAV to cooperate with fixed-wing fighters in combat. Any aircraft without afterburner engines cannot cooperate with fighter jets, especially with fifth-generation aircraft. After all, the air combat speed range of fifth-generation aircraft is now generally in the supersonic speed range. You, a subsonic drone, can't even eat dust behind them. The air-to-air missiles carried by Rainbow-9 can either be used only for self-defense at the last moment, or can be used to implement A-shoot-B-guide. For example, they can be hidden on standby in the battle depth of the battlefield, or be called upon as an aerial arsenal to directly carry out ultra-long-range attacks to attack the opponent's early warning command and control aircraft or strategic-level electronic warfare aircraft. It cannot undertake more tasks. Rainbow-9 can undertake a lot of tasks in the reconnaissance and strike mission. This air-launched hypersonic aircraft alone makes the Rainbow-9 positioned higher than drones of the level of MQ-9 and Wing Loong-2. These two types of drones basically do not have the ability to attack outside the defense zone, and the air-to-surface ammunition they carry is basically used to attack within the defense zone, which also determines that their battlefield survivability is relatively limited, and the mode of use is more similar to that of close air support (CAS) models. However, the Rainbow-9, with a radar pod and a hypersonic aircraft, is suddenly different. We now have the ability to attack from a long range outside the defense zone and can launch a sudden attack from hundreds of kilometers away. Therefore, the equipment and use mode of Rainbow-9 may be more similar to that of J-16 or even H-6K, and it can be used as an opposite strike aircraft, which makes it one level higher in equipment level than the common reconnaissance and strike drones. In 2018, US intelligence agencies claimed that China had conducted five tests of a new type of missile, from December 2016 to January 2018, in just over a year, and the missile's test results were apparently good. The US military named the missile CH-AS-X-12. Since the combat radius of the H-6K and H-6N itself exceeds thousands of kilometers, they can easily strike US military targets in Alaska and Hawaii with the missile, which has caused a lot of concern in the US military. U.S. intelligence agencies reported that China is testing the ability of the H-6 to launch air-launched ballistic missiles. There is only a single attestation for the CH-AS-X-12 designator which appears to be in error. At the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show, the missile was marked 2PZD-21, a non-standard designator. It is reported that the type of this missile is similar to the DF-21, with a range of 3,000 kilometers, and can carry nuclear warheads to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland. This is also the first time that the United States has confirmed the existence of China's air-launched strategic ballistic missiles. With this missile, the survivability of China's strategic nuclear forces will be greatly enhanced. At the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show, the H-6K appeared in front of everyone carrying a mysterious missile. Was it a Type 21 air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile? Although there was no official explanation for the missile, the missile's appearance was similar to the Russian "Dagger" hypersonic missile, which made many people think that it was the air-launched version of the People's Liberation Army's hypersonic missile. The H-6K bomber carrying a mysterious missile appeared at the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show, sparking heated discussions. The H-6K equipped with this missile can even carry out strikes across tens of thousands of kilometers, far exceeding the strike range of the US air defense missiles. In addition, this type of hypersonic missile flies at a speed of more than Mach 5 throughout the entire journey, which cannot be intercepted by all US air defense systems. Especially when carrying nuclear warheads, dispatching multiple H-6s can cause a devastating blow to the US mainland. As a three-in-one strategic nuclear strike system, China has never achieved this in its strategic air force. However, the birth of the H-6+ hypersonic missile combination that can carry nuclear warheads has allowed China to step into the threshold of a strategic air force and brought the PLA's air force projection into a new milestone. Before the birth of the H-20, the PLA only had the H-6 bomber. Although the performance of this bomber has undergone earth-shaking changes compared to when it was first born after many improvements, it is not a strategic bomber after all, and it does not have stealth. These shortcomings of the H-6 will become its fatal disadvantages in modern warfare. For this reason, the PLA needs to find some new ways out for the H-6, and beyond-visual-range strikes are an important means to improve its survivability and strike capability. The H-6K equipped with this missile can even carry out strikes across tens of thousands of kilometers, far exceeding the strike range of the US air defense missiles. In addition, this type of hypersonic missile flies at a speed of more than Mach 5 throughout the entire journey, which cannot be intercepted by all US air defense systems. Especially when carrying nuclear warheads, dispatching multiple H-6s can cause a devastating blow to the US mainland. https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/t/nato-reporting-names-for-the-latest-chinese-aircraft.2559/ Originally, the list was compiled by the ASCC. That's the Air Standards Co-ordinating Committee. CAA-1A = PL-2A CAA-1B = PL-2B CAA-1C = ? PL-5 CAA-2 = PL-9 CAA-3 = PL-4 CH-AA-4A/B = probably PL-8 CH-AA-6 = PL-11 CH-AA-7A (PL-12) ADZE CH-AA-9 = PL-10 CH-AA-10 Abbadon = PL-15 CAS-1A Kraken = YJ-6 CAS-1B Kraken = YJ-61 CH-AS-2 = ??? CH-AS-3 = ??? CH-AS-4 = ??? CH-AS-5 Keystone = KD-20 CH-AS-6 = ??? CH-AS-7 = ??? CH-AS-8 = ??? CH-AS-9 = ??? CH-AS-10 = ??? CH-AS-11 = ??? CH-AS-12 = ??? CH-AS-X-13 = airborne DF-21D The Air Standardization Coordinating Committee (ASCC) was established in 1948 by the Air Force Chiefs of Staff of Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Its primary objective was to enhance the nations' capabilities to conduct combined air operations and to provide essential services, such as cross-servicing of aircraft. In 1951, the ASCC expanded to include the U.S. Navy, with the Royal Australian Air Force joining in 1964 and the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1965. Over time, the ASCC evolved to address broader interoperability challenges among the air forces of these nations. In 2005, it was restructured and renamed the Air and Space Interoperability Council (ASIC). Further realignment in 2017 led to its current designation as the Five Eyes Air Force Interoperability Council (AFIC). The AFIC focuses on enhancing interoperability through the standardization of doctrine, operational procedures, materiel, and equipment across various air power functions. One notable contribution of the ASCC/AFIC has been the creation and maintenance of reporting names for aircraft from the Soviet Union, Russia, other Warsaw Pact countries, and the People's Republic of China. These standardized names are used by NATO and other members of the broader Western alliance to ensure clear and consistent communication regarding foreign military aircraft. The AFIC continues to provide a framework for the air forces of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States to collaborate and enhance coalition expeditionary air interoperability. This collaboration is achieved through the development of AFIC Air Standards, which, upon national ratification, are implemented in member nations' documentation. Additionally, the AFIC facilitates the exchange of technical information and the loaning of equipment for trial purposes among member nations. The Air Standardization Coordinating Committee (ASCC), now known as the Five Eyes Air Force Interoperability Council (AFIC), developed a system of reporting names to standardize the identification of military equipment from the Soviet Union, Russia, China, and other nations. This system assigns code names to various categories of missiles, facilitating clear communication among allied forces. Air-to-Air Missiles (AA): These missiles are launched from aircraft to engage aerial targets. The ASCC assigns code names starting with "AA" followed by a number. For example, the Soviet R-27 missile is designated as AA-10. The Chinese prefix for air-to-air missiles is "PL", which means "Thunderbolt." This designation is followed by a number to indicate the specific model of the missile. Air-to-Surface Missiles (AS): Designed to be launched from aircraft against ground or sea targets, these missiles receive code names beginning with "AS." An example is the Kh-22 missile, known as AS-4 "Kitchen." Yingji (YJ) meaning "Eagle Strike," prefix is assigned to anti-ship cruise missiles. Surface-to-Air Missiles (SA): These are ground-based missiles intended to target aircraft. The ASCC assigns "SA" prefixes to these missiles. For instance, the S-75 Dvina system is designated as SA-2 "Guideline." Hongqi (HQ), meaning "Red Flag," prefix is used for surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems. Surface-to-Surface Missiles (SS): Missiles launched from the ground to strike ground targets are given "SS" prefixes. An example is the R-17 Elbrus, known as SS-1c "Scud B." The "Julang" meaning "Giant Wave," prefix is used for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The "Dongfeng", meaning "East Wind," prefix is assigned to China's land-based ballistic missiles. The numerical component often indicates the missile's development sequence and, in some cases, its number of stages. The ASCC's standardized naming convention ensures that allied forces can effectively communicate about various missile systems, even when the original designations are complex or unknown. Vigorous Dragon (J-10 ) - NATO Firebird Mighty Dragon (J-20) - NATO - Firefang Soaring Dragon (EA-03 UAV?) - NATO - ? Eagle (Y-20A?) - NATO - ? Mountain Eagle (JL-9/JL-9G) - NATO - ? Falcon (JL-10) - NATO - ? Giant Eagle (BZK-005 UAV) - NATO - ? Divine Eagle (? UAV) - NATO - ? Sea Eagle (Z-18F) - NATO - ? Bat (Z-18J) - NATO - ? Thunderbolt (Z-10) - NATO - ? Black Cyclone (Z-19) - NATO - ? The most amazing thing about the Rainbow-9 drone in the Octobr 2024 photos was the aerial weapon in front of it. Everyone is paying attention to a certain type of air-to-surface missile in the front of the picture. From the appearance, this type of air-to-surface missile has a clear double-conical warhead shape, painted with orange-yellow lines, and should be a hypersonic aircraft inert counterweight bomb. This detail surprised everyone. How can the Rainbow-9 drone also carry hypersonic aircraft? It was originally a big thing that only the H-6K/J bombers could carry, but now the Rainbow-9 drone can also carry it? So, is the performance of the Rainbow-9 reconnaissance and strike drone really that strong? Although many military fans generally think that the hypersonic aircraft in front of the Rainbow-9 is similar to the one hung on the H-6K bomber exhibited at the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show.The hypersonic aircraft under the wing pylons should be of the same model, but there were some differences between the two. For example, judging from the appearance, the hypersonic aircraft hanging under the wing of the H-6K is very large. According to the data, the main tires used by the Tu-16 bomber have an outer diameter of 1,100 mm, while the diameter of this air-launched hypersonic aircraft seems to be similar to that of the main tires of the H-6K, and is expected to be at least 800 mm. In comparison, the hypersonic aircraft placed in front of Rainbow-9 seems to be a little smaller. Judging from the researchers and testers on one side, its body diameter is estimated to be slightly smaller. Judging from the appearance of the hypersonic aircraft mounted on the H-6K bomber, it uses a four-piece fixed tail design and a large launcher that is unique to the H-6K and similar in appearance to the K/AKD-63 series of air-to-surface missiles. This launcher is very sturdy and relatively simple in appearance. From the design of the launcher, it can also be seen that the launch weight of this hypersonic aircraft is very large. However, judging from the appearance of the hypersonic aircraft in front of the Rainbow-9, its tail wings can be folded, and the launcher used is a relatively small launcher, which is completely different from the launcher on the H-6K. Big Ivan looked for the pictures taken at the Zhuhai Air Show before, but did not find this new type of launcher. Instead, it is similar to a general launcher used on the J-10CP fighter exported to Pakistan. The different shapes of the launcher and tail wing seem to confirm from the side that there are still some differences between the hypersonic aircraft placed in front of the Rainbow-9 and the hypersonic aircraft hanging under the wing of the H-6K. The former is more like a pocket version of the latter.

CH-7 Rainbow-7

A series of new members of China's CH drone family, including the large-size armed reconnaissance drone CH-9 and the latest upgraded version of the stealth early-warning drone CH-7, debuted 12 November 2024 at Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province. New products also include the low-cost drone CH-3D, the cargo drone CH-YH1000, as well as a series of air-to-surface missiles.

The CH-7 is another super star airshow among the numerous UAVs that were displayed in Zhuhai in November 2024. It is an advanced stealth drone for early-warning mission and electronic warfare. According to the developer, its maximum takeoff weight is eight tons, the cruising speed is Mach 0.5 and the service ceiling limit is 16,000 meters.

The stealth aircraft's scale model made its debut at the airshow in 2018, but at that time, it was being designed to be a stealth armed reconnaissance UAV that can play a strategic role in combat, so it was bigger and able to conduct strike missions to eliminate a strategic target. However, six years on, the CH-7 project has experienced a change from strategic drone to advanced tactical drone that is able to conduct various missions due to the development of modern warfare and the changing demand of clients, Cao Ran of Aerospace CH UAV told the Global Times at the airshow.

The missions that the CH-7 can conduct include monitoring combat zones, electronic support and jamming, and the radar that it carries can carry out long-range air and sea surveillance, and detect large surface vessels, according to the developer.

In other words, the CH-7 is the "eyes" for other combat units who are responsible for attack, such as bombers or fighter jets, going deep inside the enemy's area taking advantage of its advanced stealth and searching capabilities to locate hostile warships including aircraft carriers. Then, bombers or other units can launch missiles with precision, destroying the enemy's vessels from a long distance, Cao said.

Cao said the stealth capability of the CH-7 is outstanding, and is on the same level as the US-made RQ-180. Even if the CH-7 gets spotted by the enemy's radar and gets shot down during the mission, it has already transmitted valuable information about the enemy back to the command system. Moreover, the price is affordable, as now the CH-7 is not an expensive strategic drone anymore. A few losses for unmanned aerial vehicles for a victory of the battle is a good deal for sure, Cao noted.

Cao told the Global Times on Monday that since the CH-7 is now becoming a stealth early warning drone, it is also becoming smaller and lighter. "The CH-7 could also be used for different types of maritime missions according to the demand of our navy" he said. "The CH-7 has great potential, and we can make adjustments to meet the different demands of our clients," Cao said.

On 05 November 2018, China Rainbow Drone Co., Ltd. exhibited the full-size model of “Rainbow 7” large-scale stealth flying wing drone “Rainbow 7” at the Zhuhai Air Show for the first time. This was the first public display in the world. The CH-7 was expected to make its maiden flight in one to two years, Shi Wen, chief engineer and designer of the CH drone series, said 28 September 2021.

After making its debut at the previous edition of Airshow China in 2018, the CH-7 stealth drone did not make a return in 2021. This was because the CH-7 was undergoing significant improvement in terms of flight performance and other systems, Shi said. "People will see new designs and new capabilities, which will make it a new product."

This type of drone was China's first large-scale stealth long-endurance drone, and its performance was similar to that of the US X-47B drone. Rainbow-7 was a high-altitude, subsonic, long-haul drone that was used for strategic level information protection, high-value targets, continuous reconnaissance of enemy forces, air defense suppression, and alert detection.

At every Zhuhai air show, the mysterious weapon debuted at the first time was always the most attractive to the outside world. At the November 2018 air show, a huge flying wing layout stealth drone was at the booth of the 11th Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. This mysterious drone called "Rainbow-7" was the first public appearance, and it will bring about major innovations in the future air combat mode.

At first glance, "Rainbow-7" attracted attention by its huge wingspan - the 22-meter wings almost occupied 2/3 of the width of the pavilion. In order to select a better angle, media reporters had to climb to a high exhibition ladder and film with "God's perspective."

The CH-7 drone has a length of 10m, a wingspan of 22m, a maximum takeoff weight of 13,000kg, a cruising altitude of 10~13Km, and a cruising speed of zero. 5-0.6Ma, maximum flight speed 0. 75Ma.

The CH-7 high-altitude long-range stealth unmanned combat aircraft system was a high-speed, stealth, unmanned reconnaissance strike system that can perform continuous reconnaissance, alert detection, air defense suppression, combat support, and launch in high-risk environments. Or guide other weapons to launch high-value targets and other combat missions.

Rainbow-7 was a high-altitude, subsonic, and stealth drone. At present, Rainbow-7 was currently in the detailed design stage. It was claimed to have strong stealth and penetration capabilities. Rainbow-3, Rainbow-4, and Rainbow-5 adopted the traditional unmanned structure. The Rainbow-7 adopts a flying wing configuration with typical stealth characteristics, so it has strong stealth performance. With the breakthrough in aerodynamic shape, the flight control must also break through because of the need to break through the control technology of the tailless wing configuration.

In terms of power, it uses a turbofan engine that can meet its high-altitude and high-speed targets. The successful development of Rainbow-7 will make China one of the few countries in the world with high-altitude, high-speed and invisible UAV development capabilities. Internationally, there are similar performances in the United States, such as RQ-180, X-47B, and European "Neuron". After the successful development of Rainbow-7, it will have the same performance as these models.

It was said that the main consideration of the aircraft was "to meet the needs of future symmetrical operations for high-end stealth unmanned combat aircraft." In other words, this was designed for military conflicts under the conditions of future “great power competition”. Although according to the introduction of Rainbow Company, the UAV has no clear intention of foreign users, and the first was to develop for the domestic market. However, as one of the two major drone manufacturers that have expanded in the international market in recent years, the emergence of Rainbow 7 was still enough to cause a huge commotion.

Dr. Wang Yongzhi, a technical expert on Rainbow drones, told the Global Times reporter on 05 November 2018 that "Rainbow-7" was a high-altitude, subsonic, stealth drone, currently in the detailed design stage, this time was full size The way of the prototype was displayed. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 13 tons and has a strong stealth and penetration capability. "Rainbow-7" was a strategic equipment for information-level information protection and high-value target combat in the rainbow series. It can perform fire suppression, reconnaissance and surveillance, and long-term warning in high-risk environments.

Previously, “Rainbow-3”, “Rainbow-4” and “Rainbow-5” adopted the traditional unmanned structure type, and “Rainbow-7” chose the flying wing configuration with typical invisible characteristics, so it has strong stealth performance. With the breakthrough in aerodynamic shape, its flight control technology must also be broken, because it needs to break through the control technology of the tailless wing configuration. In terms of power, it uses a turbofan engine that can meet its high-altitude and high-speed targets.

According to Shi Wen, the general manager of the Rainbow series drone, the performance of "Rainbow-7" surpassed the US RQ-170 stealth drone, which was close to the newly exposed RQ-180 stealth drone, which was expected to be in the next 1-2 years. Conduct a test flight. Shi Wen said that it has made China a country with unmanned combat aircraft with long-haul strong penetration capability after the United States, which can meet the demand for high-end stealth unmanned combat aircraft in future symmetrical operations.

What was the technical inheritance relationship between "Rainbow-7" and "Rainbow-4" and "Rainbow-5"? Wang Yongzhi said that "Rainbow-7" mainly inherits the advantages of previous models such as high reliability, high attendance, universal ground station, and fully automatic control technology. In addition, it will adopt a series of advanced technologies that have not been used in previous models. For the specific technical route to achieve invisible performance, Wang Yongzhi said that it will be realized through comprehensive invisible design and solution such as invisible shape, coated absorbing invisible material and body structure.

Shi Wen said that the emergence of "Rainbow-7", which emphasizes invisible performance, was related to our prediction of future wars. Because the conventional configuration of the UAV in the war on terror was based on the premise of air superiority, but in the future use of drones in high-risk environments, it needs to have strong stealth and penetration capabilities. High altitude, high speed and invisibility will be the trend of high-end drone development. Shi Wen stressed that this kind of drone can use the invisible advantage to break into the enemy position and achieve closer long-term combat missions, including intercepting enemy radar, communication and other electronic signals, or against enemy command posts, missile launch positions, and ships.

Reconnaissance, identification, and surveillance are carried out on high-value targets such as ships. He also specifically mentioned that the "Rainbow-7" UAV was equipped with a buried bomb bay, which can choose to launch anti-radiation missiles, air-to-ground missiles, long-range bombs or anti-ship missiles to destroy targets according to operational requirements.

"Rainbow-5" was called "bomb truck" by Chinese military fans because of its large amount of bombs. The maximum takeoff weight of "Rainbow-7" was 13 tons, which will bring about its improvement in future applications. Wang Yongzhi said that the powerful loading capacity of "Rainbow-7" can enable it to carry more advanced reconnaissance payloads and more combat weapons, and perform the task of "seeing and playing" on the enemy's high-value targets.

Foreign countries are studying and exploring UAV formation flights, as well as future operational modes of drones and manned aircraft formations. Wang Yongzhi believes that "Rainbow-7" can be combined with manned aircraft including four generations of stealth fighters to perform tasks, such as using its invisible and long-haul performance to perform pre-reconnaissance surveillance missions, and with manned aircraft and early warning aircraft.

When talking about the future development direction of the stealth drone, Wang Yongzhi said that "Rainbow-7" was mainly based on meeting the development needs of China's own related equipment. If it conforms to the national export policy, it can also be a national defense of friendly countries.