Air system · Stealth
CH-7
Stealth Reconnaissance / Strike
Also known as: Caihong-7 / Rainbow-7 / CH-7 stealth drone
CH-7 overview
CASC presented the CH-7 (Caihong-7) as a high-altitude, long-endurance stealth unmanned aerial vehicle. The company first displayed a full-scale model at the 2018 Zhuhai Airshow; the flying-wing layout resembles the American X-47B and RQ-170 Sentinel and is presented for reconnaissance and strike missions with an internal weapons bay. The 920-km/h speed and 13,000-m ceiling are figures associated with Chinese program descriptions, not independently measured performance.
Chinese state-media and defense reporting have described CH-7 flight testing and positioned the aircraft as a Chinese answer to Western stealth UCAV programs. Publicly repeated figures include a 13,000-kg maximum takeoff weight and 2,000-kg internal payload, but their source and configuration are not always clear. The design indicates an ambition for penetrating reconnaissance or strike; it does not by itself prove a stealth level, PLA requirement, export order, or operational capability.
The public record still mixes exhibition imagery, prototype reporting, and assessed performance. A flying-wing shape supports the low-observable design intent, but radar cross-section, internal-bay fit, propulsion performance, and production readiness cannot be inferred reliably from a model or a short flight video. The CH-7 should therefore be described as a developmental stealth UCAV unless CASC or the PLA publishes clearer service evidence.
CCTV Video News Agency and other defense outlets have reported a CH-7 maiden-flight milestone, but CASC has not published a complete production specification or confirmed operational PLA fielding in the public material reviewed for 2026. The flying-wing configuration and intended reconnaissance/strike roles are well supported by the displayed design; exact speed, payload, stealth performance, and service status remain reported or assessed rather than independently verified. This distinction is important because exhibition models and prototype imagery do not establish an operational squadron.
Armament
Precision guided munitions (internal bay)
Development and operational timeline
- CASC unveiled a full-scale CH-7 model at the Zhuhai Airshow
- Chinese program reporting described CH-7 ground testing and taxi trials
- Chinese state media reported a CH-7 first flight; independent confirmation is limited
- CASC announced an advanced CH-7 weapons-integration program
- Chinese exhibition coverage showed the CH-7 at Zhuhai 2024 in an updated configuration
- Chinese state-media reporting described continued CH-7 flight-test and stealth-UCAV development
- No public CASC announcement confirms operational PLA fielding or a final CH-7 production data sheet