CASC CH-901

The CH-901, also designated the FH-901, belongs to the Rainbow family of loitering munitions and was first shown in 2016 by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). It can be readied and fired from its tube in three minutes, then races toward its target area at 180 km/h. Once there, it loiters for up to an hour at 100 km/h, holding an altitude between 100 and 150 meters.

When the drone’s electro-optical system identifies a target, it strikes at 288 km/h with its warhead. The payload options include a 3.5 kg high-explosive charge, a fragmentation warhead, a shaped charge for armor penetration, or a reconnaissance camera. Multiple CH-901s can be launched together in swarms to overwhelm adversaries.

The system is deployable by soldiers in the field from a tube, as well as from vehicles, aircraft, and UCAVs. In 2020, China displayed a Dongfeng Mengshi truck carrying 48 launch tubes for these munitions. The CH-901 can also be launched from the FH-97 loyal wingman drone, which debuted at Airshow China in 2021.