China Caihong 5 UAV Looks Like an MQ9 Reaper But Appearances are Deceiving

China’s newest drone, the Caihong 5

Cai Hong-4 (CH-4)

CASC Rainbow (Cai Hong, abbreviated as CH) is the name of a series Chinese UAVs developed by China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), also known as the 11th Academy of CASC,^[1] or 701st Research Institute. CH series UAVs has a maximum operational radius of 250 km and endurance ranging from an hour to thirty hours.^[2]

New China Drone: Looks Like A Reaper But… « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary

To the untrained eye the two drones may look a hell of a lot alike.But we hear from experts who cannot be named that the similarities between the Caihong 5 and the Reaper are at best superficial.


The Caihong 5 has both a radome nose and an upward pointing V-tail like the Reaper, and its 66 foot wingspan is exactly the same as the American drone. According to Chinese media, the Caihong 5’s maximum gross takeoff weight is about 6,000 lbs., well below the Reaper’s 10,500 lbs., and Beijing’s Reaper knockoff has a reported maximum payload of 900 kilograms (1,984 lbs.), far less than the MQ-9’s combined payload of 3,000 lbs. external and 850 lbs. internal. The Reaper’s combined
payload is about 1,749 kilos, nearly double the Caihong 5’s.

The Caihong 5’s manufacturer, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told Chinese media their drone can carry six missiles and stay airborne 30 hours, which is significantly more than the Reaper’s usual endurance of 18 to 27 hours, depending on what it carries. Chief designer Ou Zhongming said the Caihong 5 also has a “powerful wall-penetrating radar (that) would change the way that military drones are used in counterterrorism missions.”

China Unveils Its Largest Killer Drone To Date | The Diplomat
According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese state television announced that the debut of the Rainbow 5 will “change the game in airstrikes.”
The CH-5, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), appears to be based on the United States’ MQ-9 Reaper drone design and has a wingspan of 20 meters (66 feet) and a takeoff weight of about 3 tons. It can carry a maximum payload of around 900 kilograms – which allegedly is 2.5 times more than previous UAVs of the CASC Rainbow series.

Most of China’s UAV programs appear to be founded upon reverse-engineering of foreign technologies, with institutions such as CASC likely taking advantage of existing R&D efforts in the United States and other Western states. Overall, Chinese combat UAVs lag behind their Western counterparts in terms of detection capabilities and endurance.

Related/Background:

•  China Conducts Test Flight of Largest Domestic Drone
• Built to kill: China unveils its latest heavyweight contender in military drone race | South China Morning Post 
• US DoD annual report highlights China's growing UAV strike capabilities - IHS Jane's 360 
• Predator B RPA 
• spendergast: MQ-9 Reaper Block 5 - Upgrade Weapon Racks, Sensors, Controls and Crypto Data Links to UCAV level