CH-92 Rainbow

The CH-92 Rainbow (Cai Hong 92) is a Chinese tactical multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Part of the Rainbow family that also includes the CH-91, CH-3, CH-4 and CH-5, it is used for reconnaissance, artillery-fire adjustment, laser designation and, in its armed CH-92A form, precision ground attack. It is best known as the first Chinese combat drone acquired by a European state, Serbia, in 2020.

Development

The CH-92 is an enlarged and aerodynamically refined derivative of the smaller CH-91, heavier and larger than its predecessor. It was presented in 2012 and entered production in 2014. The armed derivative is marketed for export as the CH-92A by CASC and China Aerospace Long March International Trading Company.

Design

The airframe is a mid-wing monoplane with a V-tail and fixed tricycle landing gear, permitting operation from a runway or a stretch of road without specialized ground equipment; some sources describe an alternative fixed skid gear cushioned for parachute recovery and a rocket-assisted takeoff variant. Propulsion is a pusher installation with a two-cylinder gasoline piston engine of about 37 kW driving a two-blade propeller at the rear of the fuselage, and the aircraft can be recovered by parachute. Sensors are carried in an under-nose turret with day/night electro-optical and infrared cameras (thermal detection range of roughly 13–19 km depending on time of day), a laser rangefinder/designator with a range of about 13 km, and a moving-target indicator for tracking vehicles. Manufacturer figures give a length of 4.1 m, height 1.6 m, wingspan 9 m, maximum take-off weight 300 kg, payload 60–75 kg, cruising speed 120–160 km/h, maximum speed 190–200 km/h, service ceiling 5,000–5,980 m, cruising altitude 1,980–2,500 m, endurance 8–10 hours and command-link radius of up to about 250 km.

Armament

The CH-92A carries up to two FT-8C laser-guided missiles on underwing hardpoints, each weighing about 20 kg with a range of roughly 8–9 km. Weapons are carried in addition to the reconnaissance payload, allowing the aircraft to designate targets for its own munitions or for other laser-guided weapons.

Operational History

Serbia selected the CH-92A in November 2019 over the larger Wing Loong II it had evaluated in 2018. Six CH-92A airframes, forming two three-drone batteries with operator stations mounted in domestic FAP-2228 six-wheel trucks, plus eighteen FT-8C missiles, arrived at Batajnica air base aboard a Chinese Il-76 on 1 July 2020 and were unveiled by President Aleksandar Vučić on 4 July 2020. Reports indicate a further batch of three to nine airframes was expected by the end of 2020, with Chinese state media suggesting an eventual total of up to 24, and the contract reportedly included technology transfer supporting Serbia's Pegaz UAV project. The first live-fire test on Serbian soil took place at the Nikinci testing centre on 21 October 2020. The type equips the reconstituted 353rd Reconnaissance Squadron of the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence. A CH-92A reportedly made a parachute landing after an accident in southern Cambodia in January 2020, though no operator besides Serbia and China has been confirmed.

Variants

• CH-92: Baseline unarmed reconnaissance and surveillance version with electro-optical/infrared turret and laser rangefinder.
• CH-92A: Armed export variant with two underwing hardpoints for FT-8C laser-guided missiles.