CH-3 Rainbow

CH-3 Rainbow overview

CH-3 Rainbow is a Chinese export-oriented fixed-wing unmanned aircraft for persistent reconnaissance and armed strike. Its canard layout and rear pusher propulsion distinguish it from several other Rainbow family members, although customer airframes can differ.

CASC associates the family with electro-optical observation, remote control, and air-to-surface weapon integration. Public range, endurance, payload, and weapon figures vary by export version and are not treated as one verified CH-3 specification; the supplied illustration is not technical evidence.

CH-3 has been associated in open reporting with several Middle Eastern, African, and Asian customers. Export reporting and combat claims are uneven, and a customer's local configuration should not be generalized to every aircraft carrying the CH-3 name.

Through September 2026, CH-3 remains an important historical Chinese armed-UAS export. Production totals, current operator inventories, and configuration-specific performance are not completely public.

Armament

Customer-dependent air-to-surface weapons; exact fit Not publicly disclosed

Development and operational timeline

1. Jan 2008CH-3 is publicly presented as a member of CASC's Rainbow unmanned-aircraft family
2. Jan 2012Export reporting associates CH-3-family aircraft with overseas armed-UAS customers
3. Sep 2026CH-3 remains an export-oriented armed UAS; customer configurations and current production status remain incompletely public