Documents
China AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China)
Wing Loong II
A medium-altitude long-endurance armed reconnaissance drone built by AVIC's Chengdu subsidiary as China's answer to the MQ-9 Reaper. It has become one of China's most widely exported combat drones, in service across the Middle East and Africa.
In service since 2018 · 10 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
370
km/h
4,000
km range
9,000
m ceiling
480
kg payload
💲 ≈ $15,000,000, Publicly cited export system unit price 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 2018. Status: active · ~300 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$38M – $53M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~20 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
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.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Wing Loong II can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
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. | 370 km/h |
|---|---|
| Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station. | 220 km/h |
| 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 |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 9,000 m |
| Endurance Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms, higher means longer persistent coverage. | 20 h |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 12 |
|---|---|
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 480 kg |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 11 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 20.5 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 1,900 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 4,200 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. | Turboprop engine |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 1 |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turboprop, pusher propeller |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | Electro-optical/infrared/laser designator turret, synthetic aperture radar (optional) |
|---|---|
| Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement. | SATCOM, LOS datalink |
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. | $15,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 300 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 10 |
Specifications compiled from public AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Turkish Aerospace Industries ANKA-S 
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9A Reaper Head-to-head comparisons
Wing Loong II vs
Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II has a maximum speed of 370 km/h.
What is the range of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II has a maximum range of 4,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II can carry up to 480 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II weigh? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II has a combat weight of 4,200 kg.
How many crew does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II require? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II requires a crew of 0.
What engine does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II use? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II is powered by the Turboprop engine.
What is the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II used for? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II is a uav / drone typically used for isr, close air support.
How many countries operate the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II is operated by 10 countries.
How much does the AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II cost? +
The AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Wing Loong II has an approximate unit cost of 15,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
Similar systems
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
CH-5 (Caihong-5)
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
WJ-700 (Falcon)
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
CH-6 (Caihong-6)
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)