NAI CK-1

Lore & Background

The PLAAF had used Soviet-supplied La-17s for training since the late-1950s. When the Sino-Soviet split ended further supply, China decided to reverse engineer and produce the UAV as the CK-1. Development began in the early-1960s at the PLAAF's Weapon Test and Training Base under General Zhao Xu, but work was halted by the Cultural Revolution. It resumed in April 1967 at the Nanjing Aviation Institute (NAI). The first test launch occurred in late-1969, possibly in October or on 6 December, with trials completing in 1976. The drone entered the PLAAF's inventory in March 1977 but may not have received design certification until 1979.

The CK-1 features a number of changes to the La-17, including a domestic autopilot and data link, a reinforced airframe, and revised fuel and electrical systems. The La-17's RD-900 ramjet could not be reverse engineered and was replaced by a non-afterburning variant of the WP-6 turbojet, the Chinese version of the Soviet Tumansky RD-9B used by PLAAF aircraft. Fighter engines nearing the end of their lives were converted for drone use. The CK-1 makes rolling take-offs using a trolley, and later variants reduced the long take-off distance with a solid-propellant rocket booster. It uses a parachute recovery system.

Several variants were developed. The CK-1A radiation reconnaissance drone was developed in response to a March 1977 requirement to replace manned aircraft in nuclear weapons testing air sampling. China's 22nd nuclear test on 17 September 1977 was the first live test to use the drone; it passed through the mushroom cloud twice and landed safely. The CK-1B low-altitude target drone began development in February 1980, first flew on 18 May 1982, and entered the PLAAF's inventory in February 1983. The CK-1C enhanced manoeuvrability target drone began development in May 1983, first flew in September 1984, and underwent certification testing in February-March 1985.

Reader's Guide

The NAI CK-1 holds significance as China's first domestically developed drone, marking the country's entry into unmanned aerial vehicle technology. Its development overcame the disruption of the Cultural Revolution and the technical challenge of reverse engineering the Soviet La-17 without access to its ramjet engine, instead adapting a turbojet from fighter aircraft. The CK-1A variant demonstrated a unique operational role by replacing manned aircraft in nuclear test air sampling, passing through a mushroom cloud twice during China's 22nd nuclear test. The subsequent CK-1B and CK-1C variants expanded the drone's utility for surface-to-air missile training and enhanced manoeuvrability testing, while the CK-1E ultra-low-altitude variant simulated terrain-following cruise missiles. The drone's legacy lies in establishing a foundation for Chinese UAV development, with its design influencing later target drones and reconnaissance platforms. Its use of converted fighter engines and parachute recovery system reflected practical engineering solutions that persisted in later Chinese drone programs.

Did You Know?

• The CK-1 was derived from the Soviet Lavochkin La-17 unmanned aerial vehicle.
• General Zhao Xu is known as 'the father of the Chinese UAV'.
• The CK-1C demonstrated 4 g turns during testing.