Wing Loong II

China's MQ-9-class armed drone — a turboprop MALE UCAV built by AVIC, fielding six hardpoints, SATCOM control, and an extensive export-customer combat record, all at roughly a tenth the unit cost of an MQ-9.

Overview

The Wing Loong II (Yilong-2, PLAAF designation GJ-2) is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Roughly analogous in configuration to the US MQ-9 Reaper but sold at a fraction of the price, it carries up to 480 kg of ordnance on six hardpoints and is marketed as an armed ISR and precision-strike platform. According to SIPRI data analysed by Al Jazeera, China became the world’s leading exporter of armed combat drones over the decade to 2023, and the Wing Loong II is one of its flagship export products.

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