China's drone deployment: Breaking through 1 billion orders, changing global market landscape
China's technology in the field of large-scale drone cargo transportation is at the forefront of the world, and we have signed a procurement agreement for 20 sets of Hongyan (HY100) large-scale drone systems. ”Agung Sasonekojati, CEO of PT Drone Transport Company in Indonesia, said.
As the world's largest archipelagic country, Indonesia's traditional logistics are difficult to cover remote islands, and the preservation of agricultural and fishery products, as well as emergency medical transportation, have long been constrained by transportation conditions. Chinese made drones are providing new solutions for these regions.
1、 Export Status: Scale and Share
China has become a major producer and exporter in the global drone market. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, from January to November 2024, the export value of Chinese civilian drones reached 1.944 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 16.8%, with an export quantity of 3.2505 million aircraft, a year-on-year increase of 24.2%.
In the first half of 2025, China's unmanned aerial vehicle trade will continue to maintain a strong growth trend, with a cumulative import and export total of 1.3594 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 37.1%.
Among them, the export value was 1.2803 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 30.5%; The import value was 79.2 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 689.6%. The trade surplus reached 1.2011 billion US dollars, demonstrating the international competitive advantage of China's drone industry.
From a global market share perspective, China's drone sales account for over 70% of the global market, making it one of the main producers and exporters of the global drone market. According to a report by the China Air Transport Association, China has been the world's largest manufacturer and exporter of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles for many years.
2、 Main export models: from consumer grade to large industrial grade
China's drone export product structure is rich, mainly divided into two categories:
Unmanned aerial vehicles that only use remote control for flight are the absolute mainstay, with an export value of 1.2334 billion US dollars from January to June 2025, accounting for 96.3% and a year-on-year increase of 31.2%.
The export value of other types of drones was 46.9 million US dollars, accounting for 3.7%, a year-on-year increase of 13.3%.
In terms of aircraft models, China's drone exports are upgrading from consumer grade to large-scale industrial grade:
The Hongyan HY100 large unmanned aerial vehicle has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.25 tons, a maximum commercial payload of 1.9 tons, and a maximum range of 1800 kilometers. It can cruise at altitudes above 4000 meters and operate at ultra-low altitudes of 4-6 meters.
Rainbow 4 drone: obtained the first special airworthiness certificate for large civil unmanned aerial vehicles issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, with a wingspan of 18 meters, a maximum flight altitude of 7200 meters, and a maximum flight speed of 230 kilometers per hour.
The Zhongce Aviation KF-150 heavy-duty unmanned aerial vehicle has a load capacity of up to 150kg and is widely used in logistics transportation, emergency rescue, agriculture, forestry and plant protection fields.
3、 Main equipment manufacturer: Military civilian integration development
The Chinese drone industry has formed a relatively complete industrial chain, with major manufacturers including:
Xinjiang Tianyu Hangtong Technology Co., Ltd. focuses on the research and production of the large-scale cargo drone Hongyan HY100, and has received over 1 billion yuan in overseas orders this year.
Aerospace Rainbow UAV Co., Ltd.: a core unmanned aerial vehicle research and manufacturing enterprise under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The Rainbow series unmanned aerial vehicles have ranked among the top three in global exports for ten consecutive years, accounting for 70% of China's military unmanned aerial vehicle exports.
Zongheng Co., Ltd. is a leading enterprise in industrial unmanned aerial vehicles, taking the lead in achieving mass production of vertical takeoff and landing fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles and providing end-to-end solutions of "hardware+software". Its products have been exported to more than 40 countries worldwide.
These enterprises not only dominate the domestic market, but also demonstrate strong competitiveness in the international market. The performance indicators of the Rainbow series unmanned aerial vehicles have reached the international first-class level, but their prices are only one-third of similar products in the United States, making them highly competitive in the international market.
4、 Export method: From product output to standard output
The export mode of Chinese drones is undergoing transformation and upgrading:
Whole machine+service mode: Tianyu Hangtong has signed a procurement agreement for 76 sets of Hongyan large-scale unmanned aerial vehicle systems with clients from Indonesia, Kazakhstan and other countries, which includes not only hardware equipment but also cooperation agreements for operation services, talent training and other aspects.
System solution output: For example, Indonesia's purchase of Hongyan drones not only involves the purchase of the aircraft itself, but also introduces a complete set of logistics solutions to help it build a modern and efficient logistics system.
Technical standard output: This breakthrough in overseas orders marks a crucial step for China's low altitude industry, from technology self research to market globalization, and from product output to standard output.
Chinese drone companies also enhance customer satisfaction and further consolidate their market position by establishing overseas spare parts warehouses, providing professional training and technical support, and other after-sales service methods.
5、 Regional market distribution: "the Belt and Road" becomes the focus
From January to June 2025, the top three export trading partners of China's unmanned aerial vehicles are Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and the United States, with export values of 167.4 million US dollars, 145.9 million US dollars, and 108.1 million US dollars, respectively.
It is worth noting that the export growth rate to Hong Kong, China is astonishing, with a year-on-year increase of 858.5%, indicating the increasing importance of Hong Kong as a hub for drone trade.
Countries along the "the Belt and Road" are becoming emerging markets for China's UAV exports. The products of Aerospace Rainbow have been exported to more than 10 countries along the "the Belt and Road", including Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Pakistan, etc.
The cooperation between Xinjiang Tianyu Navigation Company and countries such as Indonesia and Kazakhstan marks the accelerated entry of Chinese drones into the Central Asian and Southeast Asian markets.
6、 Development Trend: Low altitude Economy and Global Layout
In the future, China's drone exports will show the following development trends:
Low altitude economy has become a new growth point: by 2023, the scale of China's low altitude economy will reach 506 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 34%. It is expected to exceed one trillion yuan by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of about 30% from 2021 to 2026.
Application scenarios continue to expand: Drones are increasingly being applied in fields such as agricultural and forestry crop protection, logistics transportation, emergency rescue, and environmental monitoring. The Hongyan HY100 large unmanned aerial vehicle has safely flown over 6300 times, making it the most widely used and safely operated civilian large unmanned aerial vehicle in China.
Technological iteration and upgrading acceleration: China accounts for over 70% of global patent applications in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, becoming the world's largest source of technology. The Rainbow 7 stealth drone adopts a flying wing layout, with technical parameters benchmarking international high-end products. It is expected to be developed in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The trend of clustering for going global is evident: regions such as Futian in Shenzhen are building "super hubs" for Chinese enterprises to go global, holding at least one international development seminar per week on average to help enterprises expand into international markets.
7、 Challenge and Response: Balancing Safety and Compliance
Although China's drone exports have broad prospects, they also face some challenges:
International competition intensifies: With the rapid growth of the drone market, international competition is becoming increasingly fierce, and technological barriers are constantly increasing.
Safety and compliance requirements: Countries have different safety and compliance requirements for drones, and companies need to adapt accordingly.
After sales service system construction: Establishing a global after-sales service network is the key to ensuring the sustainable development of the market.
To this end, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will accelerate the establishment of a low altitude equipment industry standard system, strengthen product quality and safety source management, including the construction of a civil unmanned aerial vehicle product information system, and collect key information such as "one machine, one code" for civil unmanned aerial vehicle production enterprises and products.
Enterprises are also actively responding to these challenges. Zongheng Corporation has been expanding into overseas markets since 2018, and its products have been exported to over 40 countries worldwide. Aerospace Rainbow has established a spare parts warehouse to achieve rapid response and explore new overseas after-sales service models.
With the continuous optimization of low altitude economic policy environment and the continuous improvement of infrastructure, Chinese drone companies will gain more opportunities in the global market.
Shenzhen Futian and other regions are building a "super hub" for Chinese enterprises to go global, holding at least one international development themed lecture per week on average to help enterprises expand into international markets.
The Chinese drone industry is transitioning from "selling products" to "building brands", "exporting solutions", and developing international standards. In the next few years, the share and influence of Chinese UAVs in the international market are expected to further increase, and they will become an important force in serving the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" and global sustainable development.
