China Tests Reconnaissance And Attack Drone

China has successfully tested reconnaissance and strike drone Rainbow No.4 and completed simulation target practice, China News reported Tuesday.

"During acceleration and deceleration, the drone kept taxing on a central line on the runway. It's well positioned to carry out the subsequent missions," Li Pingkun, head of Rainbow No.4 Project, said. 

Rainbow No.4, loaded with missiles and bombs, is always ready for a simulation target practice. The drone must be around airspace near its target to enable precise real-time reconnaissance or a sudden strike.

"To ensure sudden strike, we designed a very long wing of 18 meters, while the drone body is only 9 meters. This would improve its lift, and reduce drone weight," Li said.

"Unmanned drone may dominate military attack in the future when the smart processing capability is more developed. Drones cannot fully relace manned technology at this juncture with the current technology. The current model is a hybrid of manned and unmanned military attack," Nie Haitao, deputy head of Chengdu Division, AVIC was quoted as saying to China News.

Rainbow No.4 is characterized by its invisibility, carrying capacity, fast speed, strong defense and attack.

As China's technology improves, unmanned military drones like this one are set for further tests and development.