CH-92A drone: Serbian Armed Forces fire guided missiles from Chinese-built UAV

The Serbian Armed Forces have fired guided missiles from the Chinese CH-92A multi-role drone. The Serbian Ministry of Defence released a video of the exercise. It shows FT-8B/C laser-guided missiles being used against a stationary target. Public demonstrations of the CH-92A drone in combat use are quite rare.

The drone was first presented to the Serbian public in 2020, although Serbia had already signed the supply contract in 2018. This makes the country one of the first customers for the CH-92A in Europe and worldwide. In addition to the drones, the Western Balkan state procured 18 FT-8B/C guided missiles; further missiles were probably added later.

According to a Ukrainian military publication, plans emerged in November 2024 for a service centre in Serbia to maintain Chinese drones made by Aerospace Long-March International (ALIT). ALIT also develops and builds the CH-92A. The centre is expected to support the Serbian “Vrabac” and “Pegas” drones as well in future.

Technical data of the CH-92A drone

The CH-92 made its first appearance at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2012, when the aircraft was still in the test phase. It is armed with FT-8B/C guided missiles, which weigh 18 kilograms and have a range of six to nine kilometres, depending on launch altitude. The basic version of the CH-92 is 4.1 metres long and 1.6 metres high, with a wingspan of nine metres. Its maximum take-off weight is 300 kilograms, and it can carry a payload of up to 60 kilograms.

Serbia operates a modified variant with the maximum take-off weight raised to 380 kilograms and the payload to 75 kilograms. A two-blade propeller is driven by a two-cylinder petrol engine rated at 37.25 kW. A distinctive feature of the CH-92 is the absence of a satellite communication system. The drone can therefore only be operated within line of sight of the ground control station.

The basic model cruises at an altitude of between 1,980 and 2,500 metres, with a maximum of up to 5,980 metres. For the CH-92A, the stated maximum altitude is 5,000 metres. A typical cruising speed of around 120 to 160 kilometres per hour can be expected; according to Ukrainian reports, the top speed is 180 to 190 kilometres per hour.