VIDEO - Wing Loong MALE UAV makes public debut

Nov. 14, 2012 by Greg Waldron – FG

Zhuhai - Aviation Industry Corporation of China's Wing Loong unmanned aerial vehicle made its public debut on the static display at Airshow China this year.

Although models of the Wing Loong have appeared at air shows for years, the appearance of a real medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV along with supporting trailers highlights the advances that China's aerospace sector has made in recent years.

The Wing Loong bears a strong resemblance to the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator UAV. Like its American counterpart, the Wing Loong has two hard points for weapons. Ordnance on display with the aircraft include laser-guided missiles and bombs.

As with previous shows, a number of impressive UAV models were also on display. The most impressive of these was the CH-4, which closely resembles the MQ-9 Reaper, with four hard points for weapons. The development status of the CH-4 is difficult to determine.