【Foreign Media: China's CH-3D Attack UAV Targets the Latin American Market】
According to a report from the Belgian Army Recognition website on December 2nd, at the 2025 Defense Exhibition (Expodefensa 2025) held in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, China New & Emerging Import and Export Co., Ltd. is trying to introduce a new model into an already saturated medium-altitude long-endurance UAV market. The company displayed a model of the CH-3D attack UAV at its exhibition booth. This 900-kilogram UAV is designed for long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, and can optionally be equipped with guided bombs and light missiles for precision strike missions.
The maximum takeoff weight of the CH-3D is 900 kilograms, with a payload capacity of 250 kilograms, placing it in the category of UAVs that can carry multiple sensors and guided weapons simultaneously.
The aircraft's cruising speed ranges between 160 and 220 kilometers per hour, with a maximum speed approaching 280 kilometers per hour. Its practical ceiling is 9,000 meters. With an electro-optical reconnaissance configuration, its endurance exceeds 28 hours, enabling it to conduct prolonged operations in a single area, reducing the need for rotations and ensuring near-continuous presence in the mission area.
The aircraft's fuselage design balances modularity and payload capability. The CH-3D has two mission bays capable of housing synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical sensors, or electronic warfare equipment. The four external hardpoints under the wings and one under the fuselage complete its structure, allowing the integration of guided bombs and light missiles according to user requirements and export licenses. This configuration enables the UAV to perform surveillance, target acquisition, and precise strikes against artillery, armored vehicles, or command posts using a single platform.
The CH-3D uses a wheeled landing gear for conventional takeoff and landing on runways. A runway length of approximately 550 meters is required at sea level, making it compatible with standard airbase infrastructure or appropriately prepared regional airports. Taxiing on the runway can be performed in automatic mode, while still allowing ground operators to manually control it when needed to adapt to local conditions. This operational mode aims to reduce the workload of ground personnel and support the scheduling of continuous sorties during extended mission cycles.
In terms of command and control, the CH-3D uses a line-of-sight data link with a range of about 200 kilometers, suitable for missions launched from domestic territory or forward bases. When using satellite relay, its control range can exceed 2,000 kilometers (depending on satellite coverage), opening the door for extended patrols to monitor long borders, distant coastal areas, or more remote points of interest. This flexible control architecture increases the appeal of the system to countries that want to cover vast areas with limited aircraft.
The manufacturer also emphasized options aimed at improving survivability in environments susceptible to interference. The UAV can be equipped with an electronic warfare suite to interfere with enemy radars, protect the airframe from certain guided threats, and collect electromagnetic intelligence. Combined with its claimed endurance, these options enable long-duration intelligence and reconnaissance missions, during which the UAV helps map enemy radiation sources and supports the preparation for subsequent combat operations.
Statement: The above equipment parameters are from a report by Army Recognition website.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1850387903857930/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.