BEIJING -- The Caihong-4 (CH-4) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has become the first large civil UAV in China to receive a special airworthiness certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

According to the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, the developer of the Caihong series of UAVs, efforts to secure a standard airworthiness certificate for the CH-4 UAV are progressing in an orderly manner.

The CH-4 previously obtained an authorized flight certificate for large civil UAVs from the CAAC Northeast Regional Administration in 2021.

The Caihong, or Rainbow, series of UAVs have pioneered civil aviation innovations in China, including emergency communications, marine monitoring, and artificial rain enhancement, while conducting regular flight operations.

China's UAV industry has averaged more than 20 percent annual growth in recent years, becoming a new driver for the world's second-largest economy.