Wing Loong-3

2022: Announcement

On November 6, 2022, a domestically produced military drone with an estimated flight range of more than 10 thousand km was presented in China.

The novelty is called Wing Loong-3. According to NHK, the premiere of the innovative aircraft took place in China before the opening of the largest air show in Guangdong.

The Wing Loong UAV, developed by the Chengdu Institute for Aviation Design and Research (CAIG) at the PRC Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), is a multi-purpose medium-altitude, dual-purpose and long-duration UAV. It can fly as a fully autonomous platform.

Chinese military drone that can carry 2 tons of missiles at a distance of more than 10 thousand km

The Wing Loong UAV can carry various reconnaissance, laser irradiation/scattering, electronic countermeasures, as well as small-sized air-to-ground strike weapons. It can be used for surveillance, reconnaissance, ground attack and other missions, as well as counter-terrorism and border patrols.

The Wing Loong 3 design is similar to the Wing Loong 2 and consists of a monoplane thin fuselage and empennage with a prominent V-tail and ventral plumage. The landing gear consists of two main wheels under the fuselage and one wheel under the nose. The electro-optical payload capsule mounted under the nose of the fuselage is integrated with day and infrared cameras and sensors to collect observation and target designation data in both day and low-light/night conditions.

Wing Loong 3 now has four fulcrums under each wing. The aircraft has a greater carrying capacity and can fly a greater distance. It can carry air-to-air missiles PL-10E with a range of 24 km, BA-7 anti-tank missiles, air-to-ground AG-300/M missiles planning bombs, as well as, presumably, electronic warfare and reconnaissance systems.

In terms of technical characteristics, Wing Loong 3 has a maximum take-off weight of 6,200 kg, a carrying capacity of 2,300 kg, a flight range of 10 thousand km and an autonomy of 40 hours.

Observers say China is keen to show the United States the expanded scope of its military operations amid ongoing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.

Beijing also wants to use the case to expand exports of its military drones, they said. The country already sells military drones to more than 10 countries, including some countries in the Middle East and Asia.^[1][2]

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