CH-901

China's tube-launched, electric loitering munition — a man-portable, recoverable-or-lethal reconnaissance-strike system that can be launched singly or in swarms from a 48-tube vehicle, and is being aggressively export-marketed alongside the larger Rainbow and Wing Loong families.

Overview

The CH-901 (also designated FH-901 and marketed for export as the BG-201) is a compact, tube-launched loitering munition developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). It bridges the gap between a disposable reconnaissance drone and a guided munition: an electro-optical seeker feeds a remote operator, who can circle a target area for up to an hour before designating a terminal dive attack. The system’s 48-tube swarm launcher, first displayed on a Dongfeng Mengshi vehicle, signals Beijing’s ambition to field cheap, coordinated mass-attack drones alongside its higher-end MALE UCAV exports.

Development

CASC unveiled the CH-901 in 2016, positioning it as a Switchblade-class system for both the People’s Liberation Army and international buyers, according to Popular Mechanics. The design was later shown at the 2018 SOFEX exhibition in Jordan and briefed to Thai officials in 2022, as reported by SP’s MAI. The most distinctive development milestone was the 2025 demonstration of a 48-cell box-launcher mounted on a military truck, a configuration that would allow a single vehicle to saturate a target area with dozens of low-cost munitions in rapid succession.

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