China unveils WZ-7 Soaring Dragon - RQ-4 Global Hawk counterpart with 7,000km range and 750km/h speed

Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation, a subsidiary of AVIC, has unveiled the WZ-7 Soaring Dragon drone. It is the Chinese counterpart to the US RQ-4 Global Hawk drone.

Here's What We Know

The WZ-7 Soaring Dragon is a drone for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. In many ways, it resembles the RQ-4 Global Hawk drone developed by Northrop Grumman. By the way, the US Navy version of the Global Hawk is called the MQ-4C Triton.

The Soaring Dragon cannot carry weapons, but is intended only for surveillance, reconnaissance and reconnaissance. Antennas can be integrated into the wings of the drone to intercept radar signals from warships.

The WZ-7 Soaring Dragon is 14.3 meters long and has a wingspan of 25 meters. The drone can carry a payload of 650 kg with a maximum take-off weight of 7.5 tonnes. It has a cruising range of 7,000 km. The WZ-7 has a cruising speed of 750km/h and is capable of climbing to altitudes over 18km.

Note that the Soaring Dragon has been seen before. In early 2023, the drone flew for the first time near the Japanese islands of Miyakojima and Okinawa.

Source: Naval News