China has claimed an early lead in large uncrewed cargo aircraft, ostensibly for commercial application but with clear military potential. The largest yet, a Tengden design with a 2,000-kg (4,400-lb.) payload capacity and 1,800-km (970 nm) range, flew in August 2024.
Meanwhile, the Air White Whale W5000, with a 5,000-kg-payload capacity, is being readied for flight, and in May, AVIC’s Shaanxi division unveiled plans for the Ibis-60, an uncrewed airlifter resembling the Shaanxi Y-8, a Lockheed Martin C-130-class aircraft that can accommodate a 20,000-kg payload and has a 5,600-km range.
Aircraft in development in China run the gamut of sizes, from AVIC’s single-engine, 500-kg-payload-capacity TP500 and twin-engine, 700-kg-payload-capacity HH-100 to the W5000, which is larger than Cessna’s twin-turboprop SkyCourier.
More aircraft are joining the fray. In March, Yitong flew the TP1000, a copy of the Britten-Norman Islander, with capacity for a 1,000-kg payload. And in May, Chinese uncrewed aircraft leader CASC flew the 1,200-kg-payload CH-YH1000, the latest in its Rainbow series.
Several of China’s uncrewed cargo aircraft are set to enter service in 2026. There are no overt signs of military interest, but many of the developers have links to the People’s Liberation Army.