China reveals deployment of rail-launched tactical multirole UAV

The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) has operationalised the KVB-001 tactical multirole UAV. (Janes)

The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) has deployed an updated variant of its KVD-001 tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

In a 23 August social media post, the PLA's official China Military Bugle account identified the platform as the KVB-001 for the first time.

Photographs accompanying the post showed the UAV conducting a rocket-assisted take-off (RATO) from a zero-length rail system mounted on a military truck during a flight-training exercise on 13 August, China Military Bugle said.

This is not the first time that state-owned media have released images of the KVB-001. In 2024, the state-owned PLA Daily newspaper published images of the UAV being launched from a truck-mounted rail system without disclosing the platform's name. The latest disclosure, however, confirms that the platform is operational with the PLAGF.

Design differences

While few operational details are available about the KVB-001, it is likely an enhancement of the KVD-001, which was developed by Xi'an Aisheng Technology Group Co and entered service in 2020–21.

Images of the KVB-001 show that the platform appears shorter than the KVD-001 and has a more streamlined satellite communications (satcom) antenna on its upper fuselage.

The KVB-001's main body also appears taller than that of the KVD-001, with flatter sides and a ventral datalink antenna towards the rear. Like the KVD-001, the KVB-001 has a retractable turret beneath the nose, potentially housing an electro-optic/forward-looking infrared (EO/FLIR) system, according to the images.

The KVB-001 also retains its predecessor's twin-boom and dual-tail design. It is likely equipped with a four-cylinder piston engine. The UAV has a fixed-pitch, two-bladed propeller constructed from laminated wood.