China's CH-7 stealth UAV completes maiden flight

China's new high-altitude, high-speed, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle CH-7 (or Caihong-7, meaning Rainbow-7) has successfully completed its maiden flight, marking a key milestone in the program. The aircraft previously made a public appearance at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in 2024.

The CH-7 features an advanced high-aspect-ratio flying-wing aerodynamic design. It is capable of carrying multiple high-performance mission payloads, including electro-optical and infrared systems.

With advantages such as long endurance, high service ceiling, fast cruise speed and strong mission capability, the vehicle is designed to meet advanced requirements for ground observation, data support and other tasks under complex conditions.

Follow-on tests are expected to focus on expanding the flight performance envelope and verifying payload functions.