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The CH-7 prototype of China's new generation of stealthless unmanned combat aircraft is presented at the 12th International Exhibition on Aviation and Aerospace in China. (AP Photo / Kin Cheung, File)
China would be developing a stealth combat drone capable of "stealing long hours, monitoring the target and hitting its target if necessary" – and, perhaps, filling a vacancy in the vehicle market UAVs that the United States has been reluctant to exploit.
The Chinese manufacturer Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation plans to test the CH07 next year and hopes to begin mass production by 2022, said Wednesday to the press the chief designer Shi Wen.
Shi told the Associated Press that his company thought the drone would soon fly into the blue skies for testing, before becoming "progressively a practical and usable product in the future".
The development of the combat drone is the latest sign of China's growing aerospace prowess and highlights the country's competitiveness in the expanding global market for such vehicles.
The development of the combat drone is the latest sign of China's growing aerospace prowess and highlights the country's competitiveness in the expanding global market for such vehicles. (AP Photo / Kin Cheung, File)
A model of the proposed aircraft is currently on display at this week's air show in Zhuhai in southern China, a semi-annual event that showcases the country's latest advances in civil and military aviation.
It's the size of a fighter with a wingspan of 72 feet and a length of 33 feet. It has a single engine that can propel it roughly at the speed of a jetliner.
The United States, Russia and France are also developing stealth drones, while Israel has long been a leader in the field of UAVs.
However, low prices and a willingness to transfer technology have given China a "strong position" in the drone market, said Phil Finnegan, head of corporate analysis at Teal Group Corp. in Fairfax, Virginia.
The United States has been extremely cautious about selling its unmanned high-end system even to NATO member states, giving China an opportunity in the export market, said Justin Bronk, technology expert of this type at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies in London.
"This would represent an area of China 's arms export offerings that no other country offers," Bronk said.
In parallel with its development of stealth fighter and commercial transport aircraft, China has made rapid progress in the development of UAVs, the cost of which is relatively lower. Sales were also boosted by the fact that China is not a signatory of the missile technology control regime, which restricts missile exports and other unmanned weapon systems.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
