On April 24, 2024, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense commemorated the 93rd anniversary of the Air Force’s establishment with a ceremony attended by notable figures including the Prime Minister, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Minister of Defense, among other senior leaders and officers. A significant highlight of the day was the first official public display of the Chinese-made Cai Hong-5 UAV (CH-5), along with a drill display featuring the Iraqi Air Force’s Rafale and F-16IQ fighter jets.
Operational since its maiden flight in Gansu province in August 2015, the CH-5 drone, developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was first publicly displayed at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai in 2016. According to available information, the CH-5 falls into the category of medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with a wingspan of 21 meters and an increased payload capacity of 1,200 kilograms, which is more than that of its predecessors in the Cai Hong family, which had a capacity of 900 kilograms.
This capacity enables this drone, also known as Cai Hong 5 or Rainbow 5, to carry an array of weaponry, including up to 16 air-to-ground munitions such as the Lan Jian 7 (Blue Arrow 7) laser-guided air-to-surface missiles, TG100 laser/INS/GPS-guided bombs, and AR-1/HJ-10 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).