China Markets $10K Feilong-300D Drone as Affordable Strike Option

China is marketing its Feilong-300D loitering munition to partner countries, pitching it as a cost-effective option to counter other global arms exporters.

Unveiled last year, the Norinco-built system is reported to cost as low as $10,000 per unit and can strike targets up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away.

For comparison, Iran’s Shahed family of suicide drones reportedly costs around $50,000 per unit, while Ukraine’s long-range FP-1 drone is priced at about $55,000.

The American Switchblade-600, including control equipment, costs over $150,000.

One-way kamikaze drones such as Shahed have reshaped the modern battlefield, used to swamp air defenses and destroy targets like tanks and armored vehicles, and even military or civilian infrastructure.

The Feilong-300D can “conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, and strike operations in border regions, forming a deterrent against potential adversaries,” the South China Morning Post reported, citing Ordnance Industry Science Technology magazine.

To Counterbalance Bigger Adversaries

Such capabilities are precisely what countries like Pakistan seek to offset the advantages of larger regional powers.

During its military confrontations with India in May, Pakistan fielded several Chinese-made platforms, notably the J-10C fighter jet and the HQ-9 air defense system.

Alongside conventional weapons, both sides relied heavily on drones for missions ranging from suppressing enemy air defenses to attacking military installations.

Pakistan reportedly deployed more than 600 drones in an attempt to overwhelm India’s defenses.

Despite the onslaught, the Indian military successfully intercepted and neutralized the attacks using its multi-layered air defense network, according to the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation.

A lack of sufficient numbers and range could be among the reasons behind the reportedly limited impact of Pakistan’s drone attacks.

Unverified estimates suggest Pakistan operates over a thousand drones, among them China’s CH-4, Turkey’s Bayraktar Akinci, and indigenous models such as the Burraq and Shahpar.

The Feilong-300D could provide “an affordable yet highly capable weapon option for smaller nations,” according to the Ordnance Industry Science Technology, enabling them “to establish their own unmanned combat forces through bulk procurement.”

Features

Powered by a piston engine running on standard petrol, the delta-wing drone has reportedly demonstrated a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) during simulated exercises, successfully evading enemy air defenses and striking a mock military base.

Its ability to penetrate air defenses suggests that the aircraft is equipped with electronic countermeasures or autonomous flight path-planning capabilities, in addition to its low-profile design, compact size, and relatively slow speed that help reduce radar detectability.

During these drills, it also operated in coordination with fighter jets and ground-based missile systems, employing modular warheads that allow users to tailor payloads to specific operational requirements.

No further details have been disclosed about the drone. However, Taiwanese media, citing defense analysts, suggested that China’s advances in artificial intelligence could give the platform a significant edge over comparable foreign systems — potentially making it a game-changer in contested theaters such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.