China Unveils Feilong-300D Loitering Munition with 1,000 km Range at $10,000 Per Unit

China has unveiled the Feilong-300D, a new loitering munition often described as the nation’s equivalent of the Russian Geran-2 (Shahed-136). The system marks a significant step in the evolution of affordable long-range precision strike capabilities, underlining China’s emphasis on mass production and cost-effective unmanned combat systems.

The Feilong-300D is a low-cost, high-endurance suicide drone designed to deliver a high-explosive warhead over a distance of more than 1,000 kilometres. With an estimated unit cost of around $10,000, the Feilong-300D offers an extremely economical alternative to expensive cruise missiles and traditional long-range standoff weapons.

In terms of performance, the Feilong-300D’s range places it on par with the Geran-2/Shahed-136, but its affordability gives it a decisive edge. By comparison, the Artemis System, a newly developed drone with a similar design philosophy to the Iranian Shahed-136, reportedly offers a range of 1,000 miles (approximately 1,600 kilometres) and carries a 40 kg warhead. However, it comes at a far higher estimated cost of around $70,000 per unit — seven times the Feilong’s price.

Ukrainian advancements in long-range loitering munitions provide another useful benchmark. The Ukrainian FP-1 long-range drone, capable of reaching targets around 1,000 kilometres away, is estimated to cost approximately $55,000 per unit. This places Ukraine’s system in the middle ground between China’s low-cost model and Western high-end systems.

Chinese defense sources note that the Feilong-300D uses a simple piston engine, modular electronics, and a composite airframe, making it easy to produce and maintain in large quantities. The drone is equipped to carry a 40–50 kg warhead, giving it enough explosive power to destroy key battlefield targets such as radar installations, artillery batteries, and infrastructure nodes.

Analysts see the Feilong-300D as part of a broader Chinese strategy focused on expendable and scalable systems capable of overwhelming enemy defenses through saturation attacks. It could play a critical role in Taiwan Strait operations or serve as an attractive export option for partner nations seeking affordable precision-strike capabilities.

The emergence of low-cost, long-range drones like the Feilong-300D highlights a changing reality in modern warfare: cost efficiency is becoming as important as capability. As nations seek to balance budgets with combat effectiveness, systems like the Feilong demonstrate how industrial scale and affordability can redefine the future of conflict.

With its combination of range, payload, and minimal cost, the Feilong-300D stands as a symbol of a new era in aerial warfare — one where mass, persistence, and economy of force increasingly determine success on the modern battlefield.