Enhanced Chinese Sky Hawk stealth UAV takes to flight

CASIC is enhancing its Sky Hawk low-observable UAV for improved stealth characteristics and greater range. (Janes)

China’s Tianying (Sky Hawk) tailless low-observable, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has started flight-testing following upgrades to its primary parameters. According to Chinese state-owned media, the changes improve the UAV’s stealth characteristics and endurance.

Developed by the No 3 Research Institute of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), the Sky Hawk has been designed to conduct stealth-based reconnaissance and attack missions, according to state-owned media. CASIC has previously said the Sky Hawk will operate either independently or alongside other unmanned platforms for force multiplication.

On 27 February the state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) aired footage of the Sky Hawk conducting a test flight.

According to CASIC, the Sky Hawk is designed for multirole operations at “high altitude, high stealth” and with “high autonomy”. As a force multiplier, the Sky Hawk could help support People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF’s) unmanned operations such as stealth penetration, precision attack, and multidimensional attack, Janes assesses.