A reusable medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft family developed in reconnaissance and armed strike configurations for domestic and export users.
Development
CASC CH-4 Rainbow was developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation in People’s Republic of China as a armed-reconnaissance aircraft. The family first flew in 2011. Its recorded airframe configuration is fixed wing, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, CASC CH-4 Rainbow is represented primarily in the armed-reconnaissance aircraft role. The sourced variant records include service with People’s Liberation Army Air Force. The current structured record does not attach a specific conflict authority to this family; operational context remains limited to sourced service and role data. Role tags attached to the family include battlefield interdiction.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include CH-4 prototype, CH-4B armed configuration, and CH-4B production configuration.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| CH-4 prototype | Prototype | Armed Reconnaissance | People’s Liberation Army Air Force |
| CH-4B armed configuration | Production | Armed Reconnaissance | People’s Liberation Army Air Force |
| CH-4B production configuration | Production | Armed Reconnaissance | People’s Liberation Army Air Force |
Representative specifications
Configuration-specific profiles are shown separately so values from different variants are not blended into one false “standard” aircraft.
CH-4 prototype — C019 baseline technical profile
- Crew
- 0
Powerplant: 1 × Piston engine (CH-4 family)
Armament: Armed CH-4 configurations carry guided air-to-surface missiles and precision-guided bombs on external stations.
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2011-12 — Jane's Information Group · Tier 3
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2014-15 — Jane's Information Group · Tier 3