"For the First Time, Chinese UAVs Are Flying and Fighting in the Middle East."

Although not as good as their American counterparts, they can be purchased quicker and with fewer strings.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Egypt have all purchased the CH-4. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are using them in their campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels, while Iraq has used them in action against ISIS forces operating in the country. Earlier this month, as part of an operation to retake the city, a CH-4 drone was used against an ISIS position in Ramadi.

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he use of these drones in combat will bolster China's credibility as a supplier of high-tech weapons. Chinese weapons have previously had the reputation of being crude and inexpensive, but companies such as Chinese Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, which produces the CH-4 drone, have been catching up.

Critics charge that China's four Middle Eastern customers for the CH-4 would rather have American equipment, but that Washington's arms export approval process is painfully slow. Chinese arms exports are approved quickly and are increasingly turning out to be an affordable alternative.