Documents
China AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)
Wing Loong I
China's first widely exported armed medium-altitude long-endurance drone, roughly comparable to the MQ-1 Predator, sold to numerous Middle Eastern and African air forces at a lower cost than Western equivalents. Predecessor to the larger Wing Loong II.
In service since 2008 · 10 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
280
km/h
4,000
km range
5,000
m ceiling
200
kg payload
💲 ≈ $1,000,000 — Publicly cited export unit cost estimate
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Established · 10 operators
In service since 2008. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$2.5M – $3.5M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~20 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 280 km/h Stronger than 70% of UAVs
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 180 km/h Stronger than 65% of UAVs
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 4,000 km Stronger than 87% of UAVs
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 5,000 m Stronger than 28% of UAVs
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms — higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 20 h Stronger than 58% of UAVs
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 2 Stronger than 14% of UAVs
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 200 kg Stronger than 34% of UAVs
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 9 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 14 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 1,100 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 1,200 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 0
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Piston engine
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Piston, pusher propeller
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Electro-optical/infrared targeting turret
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- LOS datalink, SATCOM
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $1,000,000 Stronger than 68% of UAVs
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 10 Stronger than 79% of UAVs
Specifications compiled from public AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9A Reaper 
Turkish Aerospace Industries ANKA-S Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I has a maximum speed of 280 km/h.
What is the range of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I has a maximum range of 4,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I can carry up to 200 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I weigh? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I has a combat weight of 1,200 kg.
How many crew does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I require? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I requires a crew of 0.
What engine does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I use? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I is powered by the Piston engine.
What is the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I used for? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I is a uav / drone typically used for isr, close air support.
How many countries operate the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I is operated by 10 countries.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I cost? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong I has an approximate unit cost of 1,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
Similar systems
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
MQ-9A Reaper
Northrop Grumman
RQ-4 Global Hawk
Turkish Aerospace Industries
ANKA-S
Baykar