CAIG Wing Loong II
| Pterodactyl II | |
|---|---|
| |
| Wing Loong II at Dubai Air Show 2017 | |
| Role | MALE UCAV |
| Manufacturer | Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group |
| Designer | Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute |
| First flight | February 2017[1] |
| Introduction | 2017 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | People's Liberation Army Air Force |
| Produced | 2015-present |
| Developed from | CAIG Wing Loong |
The Chengdu Wing Loong II (Chinese: 翼龙 II; pinyin: Yìlóng Èr; lit. 'Pterodactyl II'), military designation GJ-2, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in the People's Republic of China. Intended for use as a surveillance and aerial reconnaissance and precision strike platform, Chengdu unveiled the concept of Wing Loong II at the Aviation Expo China in Beijing in September 2015. Wing Loong II has long range strike capability with a satellite link.
Development
The prototype of the Wing Loong II was presented for the first time to the public during the Airshow China exhibition, held in Zhuhai from 1-6 November, 2016.[2]
Design
Wing Loong II UAV MALE is an enlarged version of Wing Loong I with longer body and wider wing span. It has a slender fuselage, V-tail and ventral fin. The aircraft features retractable landing gear, including two main wheels under the fuselage and one single wheel under the nose. Each wing has three Hardpoints under the wings with capability of carrying bombs, rockets or air-to-surface missiles. A satellite communications antenna is situated on top front surface of the fuselage, offering long range data transmission between the UAV and the ground station.[2]
Variants
Export military version
- Wing Loong II: An upgraded variant of the Wing Loong, with provisions for up to twelve air-to-surface missiles. [3][4][5]
Chinese domestic military version
- GJ-2: Chinese military version of Wing Loong II. Distinguished by the lack of winglet on its wings. Officially entered service with the PLAAF in November 2018.[6]
Civilian version
- Wing Loong 2H: Emergency communication response variant, equipped with synthetic aperture radar and optoelectronic pod which is able to relay and amplify telecommunication signals. The Wing Loong 2H debuted at July 2021, deployed to assist with rescue work in Central China's Henan Province after unprecedented heavy rainfall flooding, providing a stable communication signal that can be directly used by normal phones with areas of over 50 square kilometers.[7]
Operational history
The Wing Loong II is used by UAE to perform airstrike against the Government of National Accord in Libyan civil war. The GNA received 12 Bayraktar TB2s in two batches between May and July, at least half of them have been destroyed during LNA airstrikes using Wing Loong IIs, the second batch delivered in July was to replace the losses of the first.[8] As June 2020, a total of 6 Wing Loong II have been reported shot down or lost in Libya, all operated by the LNA.[9] Including one allegedly shot down by a laser, if this was true then it was the first time in history that a laser weapon shot down a combat vehicle.[10]
The investigation led by BBC Africa Eye and BBC Arabic Documentaries revealed that the UAE used Wing Loong II drones to fire Chinese Blue Arrow 7 missile at a military academy in Libya's capital, Tripoli, in January 2020, killing 26 unarmed cadets. The drone was operated from Libya's Al-Khadim air base which has been under the control of the UAE.[11]
During 2021 Henan floods, beacause of the interruption of communication in some areas due to flooding, Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched its emergency disaster-response Chengdu Wing Loong II to the corresponding areas, and carried out nearly 6 hours of ground reconnaissance and communication relay services.[12][13]
Operators
China — In service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force since 2018, as GJ-2.
Saudi Arabia — In service with the Royal Saudi Air Force. Used during the Yemeni Civil War against Houthi militias.
Libya — In service with the Libyan Air Force that supported the Haftar's forces during Second Libyan Civil War. Supplied by UAE.
Pakistan — In October 2018, it was announced that Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation would jointly produce 48 Wing Loong II UAVs for use by the Pakistan Air Force.[14][15][16]
United Arab Emirates — Launch customer for Wing Loong II in 2017.[17]
Egypt — 32 units delivered between 2017 and 2018 according to SIPRI.
Nigeria — 2 units on order
Morocco — In order 2021 "https://defense-arab.com/vb/threads/162372/″
Serbia - In order 2021
Specifications
Data from Army Recognition[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: None
- Length: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 20.5 m (67 ft 3 in)
- Height: 4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
- Max takeoff weight: 4,200 kg (9,259 lb)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 370 km/h (230 mph, 200 kn)
- Stall speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
- Endurance: 32 hours
- Service ceiling: 9,900 m (32,500 ft)
Avionics
- Air to ground radars
- GPS communication system
- Electro-optical pod with day light and infrared cameras and sensors
- Satellite link
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- ^ "China's AVIC Achieves First Flight of Wing-Loong II UAV".
- ^ a b c "WING LOONG II UAV MALE". Army Recognition.
- ^ "组图：翼龙-2无人机挂载能力强悍_新闻_腾讯网". News.qq.com. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ 2016-10-28 13:57:20 来源：观察者网 (2016-10-28). ""翼龙2"或入列中国空军 "彩虹5"将出口中东-搜狐军事频道". Mil.sohu.com. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Wong, Kevin (7 November 2018). "Airshow China 2018: Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance UAV enters PLAAF service". IHS Jane's 360. Zhuhai. Archived from the original on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "国产翼龙-2H无人机为通信中断区搭建空中移动基站-新华网". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
- ^ "Chinese drones hunt Turkish drones in Libya air war". South China Morning Post. 2019-09-29. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- ^ "CAIG Wing Loong II - All losses by type (modification)". Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- ^ Timokhin, Alexander. "Turkey uses laser weapon technology to shoot down Chinese UAV Wing Loong II in Libya". Army Recognition. Archived from the original on 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ "UAE implicated in lethal drone strike in Libya". BBC News. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ 观察者网 (2021-07-22). "联系上了！"翼龙无人机抵达你镇上空"" (in Chinese (China)). 观察者网. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
- ^ 杨晨 (2021-07-22). "驰援河南 "翼龙"化身空中移动"基站"" (in Chinese (China)). 封面新闻. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
- ^ Dominguez, Gabriel (9 October 2018). [Rahul "Bedi"]. China, Pakistan to jointly produce Wing Loong II UAVs, says report. London, New Delhi. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "Chinese Wing Loong II drones sold to Pakistan". Army Recognition. 11 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-10-11. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ Nene, Vidi (11 October 2018). "China and Pakistan to Jointly Produce 48 Wing Loong II Drones". Drone Below. Archived from the original on 2018-10-11. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ Biggers, Christopher (26 January 2018). "UAE revealed as Wing Loong II launch customer". IHS Jane's 360. Washington, DC. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA1Szsicm-0
- ^ https://www.armyrecognition.com/images/stories/asia/china/unmanned_systems/wing_loong_2/Wing-Loong_2_II_UAV_MALE_armed_Unmanned_Aerial_Vehicle_Medium-Altitude_Long_Endurance_line_drawing_blueprint_001.jpg
- ^ "Nigeria acquires sophisticated drones capable of fighting Boko Haram, bandits for 26 hours nonstop". Daily Nigerian. 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2020-11-10.