Chinese MALE, HALE (and rotary, small, suicide) UAV/UCAV thread

[tphuang]

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I didn't get a full sense of CH-9 size until reading this post

这可是能挂高超音速导弹的那款无人机啊（图2），翼展25米，最大起飞重量预计7-10吨（差不多相当于两架MQ-9），最大挂载超过2吨、最大航程10000公里，空军装备的那个“新型察打一体无人机”就是彩虹-9的自用版本（图4、5）

so it seems like the large long range UCAV is between this and WL-3.

It looks like this one won out. I wonder if we will still see WL-3 in this show. But it could very well be the case that this has won the competition.

I remember having a discussion on WL-3 with @Blitzo and @latenlazy on WL-3 back in 2022 when it got displayed. Even then, it seemed to be a huge deal when this thing can go into service.

But if they can get 100 of this into service, they have something that can terrorize Guam and Australia (if they can provide protection that far or if they can get close to within 500 km range without facing air defense after initial strike).

Fire power just got a lot more impressive.

It is so important for them to get a long range/endurance fighter jet to protect these assets.

 

[SlothmanAllen]

CH-7
View attachment 138765

Very much reminds me of those Aviation Week renders of the RQ-180 from years ago.

They are actually quite similar!

 

[vincent]

Very much reminds me of those Aviation Week renders of the RQ-180 from years ago.

They are actually quite similar!

Form follows function

 

[vincent]

But if they can get 100 of this into service, they have something that can terrorize Guam and Australia (if they can provide protection that far or if they can get close to within 500 km range without facing air defense after initial strike).

Fire power just got a lot more impressive.

It is so important for them to get a long range/endurance fighter jet to protect these assets.

Or get more carrier battlegroups.