China has released footage showing its latest high-end unmanned aircraft, Wing Loong I-D. There are at least 10 weapons installed in the combat and spy drone.
According to Sina Military, a Chinese news site, the drone can fly up to 35 hours without refueling and it can spy on its enemies while flying above 7,000 meters. The drone is said to be weaponized with bombs and missiles including the Blue Arrow 7 laser-guided missiles. The missiles are known to be one of the most powerful anti-tank missiles in the world. The BA-7 can destroy tanks that have 1.4 meters thick armor from a distance of 7,000 meters.
Sina reported that the weapons inside the aircraft also included the YZ-212 laser-guided bomb, YZ-102A anti-personnel bomb, and a 50-kilogram LS-6 miniature guided bomb. The drone is an upgrade of the Wing Loong I. The latest model is wider than the first model and it can carry a heavier load.
Sina's report said the new aircraft's wingspan is wider compared to the older model. The Wing Loong I-D's wingspan is 17.5 meters and Wing Loong I's is 14 meters. The new model can carry an external load of around 400 kilograms while the older model carries 100 kilograms.
The aircraft's first flight was completed at an airport in Western China. The video of the flight was first released by the CGTN. The video showed that the drone is in the air for about 30 minutes before landing.
CGTN's report also said that that the drone is lighter than the previous aircraft models since it was made with composite materials. The aircraft was first introduced in June and it is expected to be marketed globally. The aircraft was developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute which is part of China's Aviation Industry Corporation. It is the latest model to be added to China's most advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, the Wing Loong serial drones.
The stealth bomber Wing Loong II, one of the Wing Loong serial drones, has the capability to avoid radar detection. It can also destroy targets at a distance of 40 kilometers using its laser-guided missiles. Wing Loong II can fly at 370 kilometers per hour and it can fly at an altitude of 9,000 meters. The steal bomber's first flight was completed in February 2017. The warplanes developed by China are comparable to the MQ-9 Reaper of the U.S. Air Force.
