Military Knowledge: Wing Loong 1 Drone

Wing Loong 1 experienced its first flight in 2009 and has been serving in the Chinese military since 2011. Due to its capabilities and low cost compared to similar American MQ-1 and MQ-9 models, it has had successful exports.

The UAV is developed primarily for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and is intended for surveillance and aerial reconnaissance missions.

The UAV has a length of 9.05m, a wing span of 14m and a height of 2.77m. It has a maximum take-off weight of 1,100kg. The Wing Loong has a maximum flight speed of 280km/h, can operate over a range of 4,000km, and fly up to a maximum height of approximately 5km.

A satellite communications antenna, mounted on the bulge at the top front surface of the fuselage, facilitates data transmission between the UAV and the ground control station.

The weaponry options include AKD-10 air-to-surface anti-tank missile, BRMI-90 90mm guided rocket, FT-7/130 small 130kg bomb with planar wing, FT-9/50 50kg bomb for drones, FT-10/25 25kg bomb, GB-7/50 50kg precision-guided munition (PGM), and GB-4/100 PGM.

The base version has two hardpoints under the wings, while the Wing Loong II has six hardpoints.
Wing Loong II, is an upgraded version of the Wing Loong and was unveiled at the Beijing Aviation Expo held in September 2015.
Also Wing Loong II was presented in 2017 at the Dubai Exhibition. There are rumors of a contract between China and Saudi Arabia for 300 Wing Loong IIs.

There are 6 variants of Wing Loong 1 drones, the Sky Saker version of which is for the export market and serves in the armies of many countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, UAE, Kazakhstan, Algeria, etc. It is worth mentioning that the Wing Loong ID sample was exported to Egypt.

Specifications:
Length: 9.05 m
Wingspan: 14 m
Height: 2.77 m
Gross weight: 1,100 kg

Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 914 turboprop, 100 shp
Propellers: 3-bladed Performance

Maximum speed: 280 km/h
Range: 4,000 km
Endurance: 20 hours
Service ceiling: 5,000 m

Carrying capacity: 1,000 kg surface-to-air weapons including bombs and missiles
Bombs: FT-10, FT-10, FT-9, FT-7, GB7, GB4
Missiles: BRM1, AKD-10

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