Once the domain of only a handful of states, weaponised drones are now part of the military arsenal of no less than a dozen countries. That number is set to expand after China announced it would begin to sell and export its most powerful drone, the CH-5 Rainbow, that's modelled on the US MQ 9 Reaper.
China has previously sold armed UAVs to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. The commercially produced CH-5 Rainbows will most likely be headed to states in the Middle East and Africa that are unable to purchase such technology from the United States due to the US Arms Export Control Act and technology transfer restrictions. While the US announced in 2015 that it would be selling weaponisation kits to key NATO allies, US policy dictates that sales are to 'improve the capability of a ... key democratic partner of the United States in ensuring peace and stability around the world', and there are guidelines to avoid 'altering the basic military balance in the region'.
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WNU Editor: This market is huge, and here is an easy prediction .... there are going to be many buyers for these drones.
