CH-6 Rainbow

A large Chinese twin-turbofan reconnaissance and strike UAV intended to extend the Rainbow family into faster, higher-altitude operations.

Overview

The CH-6, also called Caihong-6 or Rainbow-6, is a large jet-powered unmanned aircraft developed by the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA), the 11th Academy of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). It is presented as a modular platform for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), precision strike, maritime patrol, electronic reconnaissance and airborne early warning.

The aircraft occupies the high end of the Rainbow product line above the propeller-driven CH-4 and CH-5. Its twin turbofans, high-aspect-ratio wing and reported maximum take-off weight of 7,800 kg distinguish it from those slower predecessors. Sources differ over whether to classify the CH-6 as a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) or high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) system; published ceiling figures of 12–15 km place it near the boundary between those categories.

CASC publicly displayed a prototype at Airshow China in Zhuhai in September 2021. Development plans called for subsystem trials and a first flight in 2022, but the available public record does not establish that the flight occurred. No military operator, export customer, serial-production run or combat use has been confirmed.

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