The new flying-wing CH-7 UCAV has a wing fuselage structure combined with a high level of stealth and long-range capability, supposedly focused on reconnaissance and continuous monitoring in highly hazardous environments.

Images and videos have appeared online showing China’s massive CH-7 UCAV on a runway during what appears to be a test taxi. The plane was first introduced in 2018 and then underwent several design changes, as described by Chinese reports.

The final live model is shown in a factory yellow primer paintalthough it is not clear if it is a prototype or a pre-series production aircraft. The 360-degree circular video provides an all-angle view of the tailless design.

In February 2024, Global times reported that the CH-7 stealth UCAV (some reports have also called it Rainbow 7 or Cai Hong-7) has completed testing and the development phase is scheduled to conclude in 2024. Observers also expected the CH-7 to make an appearance presence in Zhuhai Air Show 2024 this week.

The first version of the drone was unveiled at the 2018 Zhuhai Air Show, and a newer version will be shown at the 2022 delivery. Developed by CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation), the CH-7 is powered by a single turbofan engine with a top-mounted air inlet and is designed for high-altitude, deep penetration missions.

CH-7 stealth drone. pic.twitter.com/zlV26UxzHc

— International Defense Analysis (@Defence_IDA) November 8, 2024

The UCAV flying wing has a clearly visible image combined wing body fuselage which “represents a high level of stealth and long-range capability” “focused on 24-hour reconnaissance and monitoring in highly dangerous environments,” according to Chinese reports. The CH-7 can “continue to detect hostile targets for a long time,” Shi Wen, chief engineer of the CH series of drones, told Global times at Airshow China in 2022.

The striking resemblance to one of the first representations of the still secret Northrop Grumman RQ-180 stealth UAS (Unmanned Aerial System), which was the cover of Aviation Week in 2013, is also evident.

Just imagine that pic.twitter.com/f9EWmP3y0x

– Bill Sweetman (@ValkStrategy) November 8, 2024

Changes from previous screens.

An exhibition scale model of the CH-7 was shown in 2022 with three different types of air-to-ground munitions, two of which appeared to have optical finders. The UCAV has presumably undergone modifications since then, as there are some noticeable differences between the 2022 scale model and the new top image of the live fuselage on the runway.

The canted comet-wing UCAV has a flat exhaust and what could be sensors in the intake nacelles, possibly intended as antennas for receiving SATNAV (satellite navigation) signals, network information exchange and two-way data link transceivers.

Tests conducted on the modified prototype “verified the excellent performance of the aircraft and the effectiveness of its airframe and structural design,” he said. Global times. This implies that the UCAV It has flown before. The developers received “new designs to further improve effectiveness in information-based combat in modern warfare.”

Global times He also provided some specifications, mentioning that the CH-7 has a wingspan of 26 meters, four meters more than the original version, and a service ceiling of 15 kilometers, higher than the 10-13 kilometers of the original version.

With a maximum takeoff weight of 10 tons, the CH-7 can also carry large missiles or guide other weapons to attack high-value enemy targets. Other publications In X it said that it could have a maximum speed of 926 km/h and an autonomy of 15 hours.

The absence of vertical stabilizers. improves stealth featuresespecially from the side, since there are no flat surfaces for electromagnetic emissions to bounce off. The aerodynamically smooth design suggests it has been optimized to maximize its airflow performance, with a powerful flight control computer and software to increase stability.

The use of the CH-7 and the mysterious drone

In general, one could say that the multiplicity of UAVs and UCAVs in the Chinese inventory, including the WZ-7, WZ-10, the GJ-11 Sharp Sword and the CH-9 UCAV,represents a reasoning about possessing both redundancy and,attritability.

Unmanned systems performing reconnaissance, ELINT/EW and strike missions are highly vulnerable to allied anti-aircraft fire, but also reduce operational costs and human casualties, while threatening to localize enemy positions if engaged.

real CH-7pic.twitter.com/6IMDewi8mP

— Húrin (@Hurin92) November 8, 2024

What underpins China’s unmanned doctrine is the industrial ability to have all supply chains within the country to aerospace components and electronics, unlike the United States, which embarked on the reindustrialization and domestication of its manufacturing only two years ago.

From the time the UCAV first appeared in 2018, it has closely resembled the Northrop Grumman At Airshow China 2022, the wing flaps were redesigned.

The CH-7, however, shows only some similarities to the mysterious UCAV test model. The aviationist reported in August, as the latest image shows that the raked wing sections are longer. The sweep angle and overall proportions are also different, and satellite images from the radar test facility possibly show vertical stabilizers tilted toward the trailing edge.

It is unclear what relationship the CH-7 has to this model, but it would not be unreasonable to assume that data generated from the radar’s reflective testing may have informed some part of the development of the CH-7.