Could China’s new combat drone be a rival to the US Army’s Grey Eagle?
- Photos from Wing Loong-1E’s first flight show it has similar features to the American drone, which was designed for surveillance and precision strikes
- According to military researcher, engine technology is still an issue for Chinese unmanned aircraft – though they are competitively priced
After the Wing Loong-1E’s test flight on January 18, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) said the new drone would “give wings to the Chinese unmanned combat aerial vehicle [UCAV] family”.
State media highlighted the development, with broadcaster CCTV saying the multi-purpose drone met advanced international standards and had been “optimised and upgraded based on the proven technologies of its predecessors”.
Official newspaper China Daily said the new design aimed to compete with the MQ-1C Grey Eagle, citing a statement from the Avic subsidiary behind the Wing Loong-1E, Chengdu Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System.
A medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft, the MQ-1C Grey Eagle was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the US Army. It has endurance of 25 hours, can operate at up to 8,800 metres (29,000 feet) and has a total payload capacity of 488kg (more than 1,000 pounds).
Avic did not provide details of the Wing Loong-1E, but said it was bigger than the previous model, the Wing Loong-1. That drone has endurance of 20 hours, a service ceiling of 5,000 metres and a total payload of 200kg.