China unveiled the Wing Loong 3 reconnaissance drone, a competitor to the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, with a range of 10,000 km and PL-10 missiles

Here's What We Know

We've already written about the MD-22 drone, which can reach speeds of up to 8,645 km/h (questionable). Also China has developed the FH-97A drone, which is a clone of the Australian Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat. We also saw a couple (1, 2) of mysterious UAVs with a flying wing aerodynamic scheme.

Another new development in the Chinese aviation industry is the Wing Loong 3 (WL-3) reconnaissance strike drone. It was developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG), a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC).

As always, information on technical specifications is minimal. We know that the drone can carry up to 2300 kg of payload, and the maximum takeoff weight is 6200 km. Under the wings we see several missiles, in particular PL-10 with a launch range of 20 km. A camera is mounted on the front.

Wing Loong 3 is positioned as a competitor to the American MQ-9B SeaGuardian/SkyGuardian drone, which can carry Hellfire missiles. The range of the Chinese novelty is 10,000 km, and the maximum flight time - 40 hours, that is, according to a rough calculation cruising speed reaches 250 km / h, as in the MQ-9B. But the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems drone flies less than 2,000 km.

Source: Army Recognition