Footage published on X by Mahamat M. Adam Bechir showed at least four Chinese Caihong-4 (CH-4) medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) uncrewed aerial vehicles stationed alongside ground support equipment at Abéché Air Base in Chad. Developed in the 2010s by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) as a cost-effective alternative to the MQ-1 Predator, the CH-4 features an 18-meter wingspan and a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 1,330 kg.
The platform provides endurance of up to 40 hours in reconnaissance configurations and around 14 hours when carrying a full payload. Chadian authorities have not officially announced the procurement, as reported by Unmanned Africa.
The aircraft accommodates up to 345 kg of ordnance, including AR-1/AR-2 air-to-ground guided missiles and FT-9 guided bombs, allowing operators to engage ground targets from altitudes exceeding 5,000 meters beyond the reach of man-portable air-defense systems. Deployment at Abéché positions the CH-4 fleet to monitor Chad’s eastern border with Sudan’s Darfur region and track militant movements in northern territories. The Chinese systems join Chad’s existing inventory of Turkish uncrewed platforms, which includes the Bayraktar TB2, Aksungur, and Anka.
