China's Most Powerful Armed Drone CH-5 UAV Makes its First Flight

CH-5 drone with 8x AR-1 AR-1 supersonic anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) and 8x AR-2 short-range semi-active laser (SAL) air-to-surface missiles

China's Most Powerful Armed Drone CH-5 drone with wingspan of 21 meters and range of more than 10,000 kilometers made is first flight in north China's Hebei Province, July 14, 2017.

 The Ch-5 is capable of carrying upto two pairs on outboard pylons of each wing for total of eight 45 kg AR-1 supersonic anti-tank guided missiles with range of 10 km and upto one quad-pack on the inboard pylons of each wing for total of eight 20 kg AR-2 short-range semi-active laser (SAL) air-to-surface missiles with range of 8 km.

CH-5 Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance Combat Aerial Vehicle can stay upto 60 hours in air when on reconnaissance and upto 30 hours when carrying multiple air to surface missiles for destroying targets at ground.

 It is designed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation to conduct reconnaissance and strike missions

The CH-5 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) is 11 m long and has max take-off weight of 3.3 ton with ability to carry 1000 kg of weapons and additional 200 kg of payload in its internal mission bay.