China unveils upgraded version of Tianying stealth UAV.

In late February, state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) released video imagery showcasing continued development progress on the Tianying (Sky Hawk) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The footage revealed enhancements in stealth capabilities and extended range, with commentary from CCTV highlighting ongoing flight-testing of the upgraded UAV. Additionally, the video depicted the air vehicle in flight, featuring its tricycle landing gear deployed in the wheels-down position.
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China's Sky Hawk stealth drone during a landing test flight (Picture source Chinese CCTV )

According to CCTV commentary, recent improvements to the UAV include enhanced stealth and range performance.

The Sky Hawk is a Chinese stealth unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. Incorporating advanced stealth technology, the Sky Hawk UAV can operate discreetly in contested airspace, providing real-time intelligence-gathering capabilities for military applications. With its low radar cross-section and high endurance, the Sky Hawk was presented in 2018 as a news option for long-range high-altitude surveillance missions.

The Sky Hawk UAV is an internally funded development by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), the country’s leading precision and strategic missile systems manufacturer.CASIC unveil program existence in late 2018 after successful test flights of a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAV named Tianying ( sea hawk )

The Tianying has a maximum take-off weight of 6,614 lbs (3,000kg) and adopts a low-observable flying wing design comparable to Lockheed Martin’s RQ-170 Sentinel reconnaissance UAV. The air vehicle is believed to have conducted at least three successful test flights after development commenced.

Ma Hongzhong, chief designer of the Tianying stated, in an interview hosted on the company’s official WeChat account“Eighty percent of our UAV’s technologies are the newest and most advanced, some of which are leading the global UAV industry”.Ma noted that the advanced technologies applied in the air vehicle have been matured through extensive ground testing.

CASIC has yet to disclose detailed information about the Tianying, but it appears that the air vehicle could be aimed at aircraft carrier operations considering its relatively compact wingspan of approximately 11m.
CASIC stated, “The Sky Hawk UAV is used to perform strategic and tactical close-in reconnaissance of important targets in high-threat combat environments”. And added, “It is capable of long-endurance flight, and autonomous wheeled take-offs and landings”.

Defense News March 2024