The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) delivered its 100th domestically-developed Wing Loong unmanned aircraft for export. The State-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) started to export the Wing Loong series of aircraft in 2010. The aircraft has been widely used in anti-terrorist operations, security patrols and aerial detection. The aircraft marks the transformation of China’s aviation equipment from manned to unmanned, entering the world’s high-end drone market.
The Chengdu Wing Loong also known as Yilong-1 (Pterodactyl I), is a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in the People’s Republic of China. Intended for use as a surveillance and aerial reconnaissance platform, the Pterodactyl I is capable of being fitted with air-to-surface weapons for use in an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) role.
The complete Wing Loong UAS family, including Wing Loong I, Wing Loong II and Wing Loong I-D was displayed at the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) held last week in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province. The Wing Loong I-D has been upgraded based on Wing Loong I and is aimed at diversified operational requirements of users, with the Wing Loong I and Wing Loong II both in batch production and delivery.
