Low cost and willing to cooperate with countries that the West does not want to trade
China has been stepping up research into military aircraft in the hope of gaining market share from the US and Israel
In the field of UAVs, the Wing Loong II is a formidable name
According to Global Times, the 50th Wing Loong IIs was delivered at the end of 2020
showing China's high-end drone products are fully suitable for the international market
Wing Loong II, codenamed GJ-2, is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group
It was built as an airborne reconnaissance and precision strike platform
The Wing Loong II was first introduced at the China Airshow in Beijing in September 2015
It is said to have a long-range strike capability with satellite link
Essentially, the Wing Loong II is an enlarged version of the Wing Loong I, with a longer fuselage and wider wingspan
The Chinese UAV has a length of 11 m, a wingspan of 20.5 m, a height of 4.1 m, and a maximum take-off weight of 4.2 tons
Compared with Wing Loong I, the Wing Loong II has an optimized aerodynamic design
an improved airframe and upgraded airborne systems, featuring better capabilities in terms of flight, payload and information capacity
Wing Loong II has a monoplane slender fuselage and empennage with a prominent V-tail and ventral fin
The landing gear consists of two main wheels under the fuselage and one single wheel under the nose, facilitates safe take-off and landing
Each wing incorporates three underwing hardpoints able to carry bombs, rockets or air-to-surface missiles
A satellite communications antenna is mounted on the bulge at the top front surface of the fuselage
offering data transmission between the UAV and the ground control station
There is no official information about Wing Loong II's Propulsion system
It is said to be equipped with a 100hp turbocharged engine, driving a three-bladed propeller, mounted at the rear section
It can fly during 20 hours and has a maximum speed of 370 km per hour
The Wing Loong II has an operational radius of 1,500 km
The Wing Loong II can be armed with a variety of weapons including laser-guided bombs and missiles to strike and destroy targets in the air or on the ground
The weaponry options include AKD-10 air-to-surface anti-tank missile, BRMI-90 90mm guided rocket, bombs, and more
The electro-optical payload pod, fitted under the forward section of the fuselage
is integrated with day light and infrared cameras and sensors to collect surveillance and targeting data in both day and night conditions
The Wing Loong II is developed primarily for the export market and is remotely controlled by one operator from the mobile ground control station
Compared with the Wing Loong I
the Wing Loong II is aimed at high-end users in the international market as it is equipped with more advanced technologies
More types of advanced Chinese drones
including stealth-capable ones that have made appearances in air shows, could get international customers in the future