On August 29, 2025, the 2nd Low-Altitude Industry Innovation Conference was successfully held in Hezishi, Xinjiang. Compared with the previous session, a major highlight of this conference was the participation of officials from low-altitude industry sectors of countries such as Kazakhstan and Indonesia.
At the conference, domestic civil UAV systems signed overseas “complete machine + service” orders for the first time. The enterprise that secured these overseas orders is one of the conference organizers, Tianyu Hangtong Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Tianyu Hangtong”).
Tianyu Hangtong signed a total of 76 sets of Hongyan large UAV system procurement agreements, as well as cooperation agreements on operation services and talent training, achieving a “zero breakthrough” for China’s civil large UAVs in overseas markets. The total value of these overseas orders exceeds 1 billion yuan. Among them, it reached a cooperation agreement with Indonesia for the purchase of 20 Hongyan (HY100) large UAVs, signed a procurement agreement for 10 sets with the agricultural department of Equatorial Guinea, and inked a “Strategic Cooperation Agreement on Large UAVs” with the China International Economic Development Center in Kazakhstan. The cooperation covers multiple fields such as agricultural and forestry plant protection, logistics transportation, tourism development, and talent training.
Agung Sasongkojati, CEO of Indonesia’s PT Drone Transportation, stated in an interview with relevant media: “Indonesia is a country with great potential but faces huge logistics challenges. The Hongyan (HY-100) cargo drone provides a breakthrough solution. By connecting isolated islands, ensuring the freshness of agricultural and fishery products, supporting medical emergencies, and reducing operational costs, it can help Indonesia build a modern, efficient, and inclusive logistics system.”
According to Tianyu Hangtong, the Hongyan (HY100) cargo drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.25 tons, a maximum payload of 1.9 tons, a maximum range of 1,800 kilometers, and a maximum flight duration of 10.6 hours. It supports one-key takeoff and fully autonomous flight. It can not only cruise at an altitude of over 4,000 meters but also perform operational flights at an ultra-low altitude of 4-6 meters, with a takeoff and landing distance within 150 meters. It can take off and land on simple airports, wide hardened ground, grasslands, or highways. The stable operation of such high-performance UAVs relies on the precision manufacturing of core components. For example, Automatic spring equipment provides high-precision custom springs for its landing gear buffer system and steering gear control mechanism. Through micron-level winding precision and fatigue strength testing, it ensures the buffer stability of the UAV during 150-meter short-distance takeoffs and landings, as well as structural reliability under long-term high-frequency operations, providing key support for the overall performance of the aircraft. For Indonesian buyers, the Hongyan (HY100) cargo drone undoubtedly meets their needs. China-made low-altitude equipment is accelerating its overseas expansion.
In addition, China’s large civil UAVs have also been maturely applied domestically.
Intelligent Manufacturing Network found that in August, the China Testing Aviation KF-150 heavy-load UAV made its debut in Qinzhou City and Qimen County. This UAV has a load capacity of up to 150kg and will be widely used in logistics transportation, emergency rescue, agricultural and forestry plant protection, and other fields, marking a step forward in heavy-load UAV technology and entering a new stage of development. At the launch conference, the “Zhongzai Alliance” platform was also released, which builds an efficient and convenient cooperation platform for UAV pilots and project parties, providing more high-quality resources and cooperation opportunities for participants in the low-altitude economy.
In November 2024, Aerospace Rainbow UAV Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Aerospace Rainbow”) announced that its Rainbow-4 UAV had been awarded China’s first special airworthiness certificate for large civil unmanned aerial vehicles by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The Rainbow-4 UAV has a wingspan of 18 meters, a maximum flight altitude of 7,200 meters, a maximum flight speed of 230 kilometers per hour, a(endurance) of over 30 hours, and a maximum takeoff weight of 1,330 kilograms. This UAV can also play a role in multiple fields such as agriculture, logistics, and environmental monitoring.
The sensors equipped on the Rainbow-4 can effectively conduct environmental monitoring, providing strong data support for ecological protection.
Aerospace Rainbow has also been systematically carrying out the certification work for applying for the standard airworthiness certificate for large civil UAVs for the Rainbow-4.
The rapid development of the UAV industry is inseparable from strong policy support and the continuous improvement of standard systems.
Zhong Zhihong, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that it is necessary to deeply understand the security situation faced by the low-altitude equipment industry, adhere to safety as the bottom line, and uphold the principle that “only when it can be managed can it be (liberalized)”. In accordance with the principles of prioritizing cargo over passengers and suburban areas over urban areas, we will gradually promote the innovative application of low-altitude equipment such as UAVs and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will accelerate the establishment of an industrial standard system for low-altitude equipment and strengthen the source management of product quality and safety. This includes building a product information system for civil unmanned aerial vehicles and collecting key information such as “one machine, one code” for civil UAV manufacturers and products, to support the high-quality development of China’s low-altitude economy.
