BEIJING – Chinese aerospace company Rainbow UAV Technology’s firstTaizhou-assembled Rainbow-4 drone recently passed its inaugural test flight- pointing to Beijing’s increased armed drone production capabilities.
In a Wednesday statement, Rainbow UAV Technology’s parent company AerospaceCH UAV announced that the first Rainbow-4 drone constructed at its largeand medium-sized drone plant in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, had completedits first test flight, Sputnik has reported.
The armed UAV’s 95-kilometer maiden flight lasted approximately 48 minutes- meeting Rainbow-4 drone design requirements, reported Yicai Globallink.
According to the Asia Timeslink,the Rainbow-4 UAV is equipped with upgraded electronic payloads andsatellite controls which assist the aircraft’s ability to strike a targetwith a margin of error of less than 1.5 meters.
“The drone will be the first delivery in a contract Rainbow UAV Technologyand National Geomatics Center of China,” Yicai Global reported, citing thecompany’s statement. The deal, worth $22 million, is also said to includeseven emergency mapping drones.
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With one successful assembly and test under its belt, the Taizhou facilityis expected to push out more medium and large-sized UAVs after completingadditional phases in equipment commissioning and trial production. Thecompany did not say whether its immediate production schedule would includedrones other than the Rainbow-4.
While China’s military developmentslinkhaveincreased tensions between Washington and Beijing in recent years, Chinesedrone technology in particular has put the Pentagon on high alert in thepast several months.
