Here is a recent example of one of the countless applications for inexpensive drones: Police in Xiangyang, Hubei, detected opium poppy cultivation using a drone. Consequently, a farm received a 500 Yuan fine.
Locals in that area seem to have a long history of growing them at small scale, for cooking and seasoning (link). That's what they said.
The Third Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (link)'s WJ-100 UAV is now known to have an export success, which is Kyrgyzstan
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/BILINGUAL/News_209203/16382435.html
BEIJING, April 23 -- This year's April 23rd marks the 76th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Starting from April 22, the PLAN held open ship day activities in more than 10 cities. More than 30 active Chinese naval ships were open to the public, reaching the highest number and widest variety in PLAN open ship day activities over the years.
北京4月23日电 4月23日是人民海军成立76周年纪念日。海军将于22日起，在沿海10多个城市港口同步举行舰艇开放活动，30多艘海军现役舰艇与公众见面。开放舰艇数量、型号均为历年来海军舰艇开放活动之最。
Those active main battle vessels, including the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, Type 071 amphibious transport dock, Type 052C/D guided-missile destroyer, and Types 054A and 056A guided-missile frigate, were open to the public. The open ship day activities were held in Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, Qingdao, Lianyungang, Taizhou, Shanghai, Ningbo, Zhoushan, Wenzhou, Ningde, Xiamen, Shantou, Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Haikou, Sanya and other cities. Especially, the naval hospital ship Peace Ark docked at Tianjin City for the first time, while many other warships made their maiden visits to the respective provinces or cities they were named after.
期间，海军将开放075型两栖攻击舰、071型综合登陆舰，052C/D型导弹驱逐舰，054A型、056A型导弹护卫舰等多型现役主战舰艇，公众可登舰参观。开放地点包括秦皇岛、天津、青岛、连云港、泰州、上海、宁波、舟山、温州、宁德、厦门、汕头、广州、湛江、海口、三亚等城市。其中，“和平方舟”号医院船将首次靠泊天津，多艘战舰将首次靠泊命名省份或城市。
The Iraqi Air Force lost a Rainbow-4 or CH-4 UAV on the 22nd, The specific cause of the crash is unknown. The two AR-1 air-to-surface missiles attached to the UAV are relatively intact
https://www.flightglobal.com/civil-uavs/iraq-debuts-new-chinese-ch-4-uav/118492.article
Iraq debuts new Chinese CH-4 UAV
By Beth Stevenson13 October 2015
Iraq's defence ministry has released a video and pictures of its first China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) CH-4B “Rainbow” unmanned air vehicle taking off from Kut airbase.
Minister of Defence Khalid al-Obeidi observed the UAV take-off on 10 October on its first combat mission against Islamic State terrorists in the Anbar region of Iraq, the Iraqi Ministry of Defence says. The video confirms Baghdad’s purchase of the type, which had been the centre of speculation since images of it appeared online at the beginning of the year.
The army aviation division of the Iraqi forces has acquired the armed variant of the UAV – the CH-4B, while it also comes in a reconnaissance-only variant, the CH-4A.
As with many Chinese-made medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs, the CH-4 resembles the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems family of Predator unmanned aircraft.
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At Airshow China in Zhuhai in 2014, a company brochure said the CH-4 series is suitable for high-altitude missions over land and sea, and has a maximum take-off weight of 1,260kg (2,770lb) and payload capacity of 115kg. Endurance for the CH-4 series is claimed to be up to 30h.
In August this year, the new CH-5 variant of the Rainbow family of UAVs was unveiled by CASC, which resembles the CH-4A/B.
It reportedly has a wingspan of 20m (65.6ft) and can carry weapons, and is visually similar to the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper which has a similar wingspan.
Images of the CH-4 in the CASC brochures show that it is similar in appearance to the CH-5, but without the ventral fin.
Source: FlightGlobal.com/
Like the PAP, it seems that the China Coast Guard is also getting (Type 067 III) landing craft into her fleet
In April 16th 2025, the People's Armed Police (PAP) commissioned a LCU (Type 067 III) into its fleet, you can watch the entire video (here). While the PAP is known to command small river crafts for security and law enforcement purposes, particularly in inland waters, this is the first time of it commanding an amphibious asset.
Here are some screen captures of the same video
The following 2 CCTV captures of fiber-optic drones under eval by the 81st Group Army, Central Theater Command
Don't you just hate it when you try to impress your girlfriend with a new Norinco Tracked Airborne IFV equipped with a new 30mm autocannon, only to be utterly stopped by the street track?
It seems that with more Y20 Transports entering service, the PLAAF appears increasingly confident in Ubering heaver airborne IFV then the older ZBD03
Bonus photos of HAHO / HALO
