DefenseChina’s CH-7 stealth UAV completes first flight
China’s CH-7 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) completed its inaugural flight at an aerodrome in northwest China, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The large flying wing UAV entered the flight testing phase following this sortie.
The maiden flight advances the CH-7 program into formal test activities after the platform’s previous public attention at Airshow China. The test validated autonomous taxi, takeoff, landing, attitude control, and trajectory tracking.
“The maiden flight is an exceptionally critical milestone for any aircraft,” said Li Jianhua, CASC, according to the local media.
Li noted that the CH-7 requires evaluation of a greater number of critical technologies, adding complexity to the process.
The CH-7 features a high-aspect-ratio flying wing with a mission payload bay designed for a range of high-performance sensors and equipment. The airframe is optimized for low observability, according to official information.
During its debut at Airshow China 2024, the CH-7 was shown as a full-scale airframe with a refined aerodynamic design. The type is intended for reconnaissance, surveillance, long-duration patrol, and guidance for precision weapons.
CASC states the CH-7 is configured for both asymmetric and symmetric conflict scenarios. The successful flight test met all predefined design requirements, according to Li Jianhua, CASC.
China has been developing various unmanned aerial vehicles for diverse uses, ranging from transport to reconnaissance and attack. The rapid pace of appearances of these unmanned models has caused concern in the West, which has not made significant progress in this area in such a short time.
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