China’s state-owned defense conglomerate Norinco has developed a new low-cost suicide drone that mirrors the Iranian Shahed-136 in appearance and purpose, signaling Beijing’s drive to make mass-produced loitering munitions available for future conflicts.
The Feilong-300D, revealed earlier at the Zhuhai Air Show, drew fresh international attention following reports that its unit price could be as low as $10,000 — a fraction of the cost of many Western-made drones.
According to the South China Morning Post, the drone is designed to engage armored targets, conduct surveillance, and carry out reconnaissance missions, blending offensive capability with multi-role flexibility.
The article describes the Feilong-300D as being powered by a piston engine using standard gasoline, featuring “simple construction, high reliability, and low cost.” It adds that the drone’s delta-wing design allows “extended range under equivalent power conditions.” In one simulated exercise, the Feilong reportedly flew 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), evaded enemy air defenses, and struck a simulated base.
The publication claimed that the drone can coordinate with fighter aircraft and ground-based missile systems during operations. It can also be fitted with adaptable warheads, allowing “users to select options based on varying operational requirements,” the article said.
For comparison, other strike drones operate at markedly higher unit prices. The Lancet-series loitering munition is priced in the roughly $75,000–$80,000 range, while the Russian-localized variant of the Shahed-136, known as the Geran, is reported to cost about $125,000–$150,000 depending on modification — placing the Feilong’s reported $10,000 unit price well below these alternatives.
According to the South China Morning Post, Norinco’s sales strategy relies on the rising intensity of regional conflicts to attract foreign buyers. The paper quoted sources saying the Feilong-300D could provide “an affordable yet highly capable weapon option for smaller nations,” enabling them “to establish their own unmanned combat forces through bulk procurement.”
The report underscores China’s intent to capture part of the export market for low-cost strike drones, much as Iran’s Shahed series has supplied operators in Ukraine and elsewhere. While the Shahed-136 has been widely used in the war in Ukraine and in Iranian attacks against Israel, the Feilong-300D appears to be China’s answer to the same category — a disposable, fuel-efficient weapon built for scale rather than sophistication.
Suicide drones, also called loitering munitions, have become central to modern combat. Their proliferation has blurred the line between precision-guided weapons and mass attrition systems. In Ukraine, both sides have deployed thousands of such drones to overwhelm defenses and target infrastructure.