Wing Loong II UAV Spotted in UAE

ARABIAN DEFENSE -- Satellite imagery may have identified the unnamed first export customer of China’s next-generation medium-altitude long-endurance and strike-capable Wing Loong II unnamed aerial vehicle (UAV).

According to satellite imagery taken at the remote Qusahwirah Air Base near the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) border with Oman and Saudi Arabia, three drones matching Wing Loong II dimensions were spotted in October 2017, Jane’s Defense Weekly revealed this month.

“The United Arab Emirates (UAE) air force has almost certainly acquired the AVIC Wing Loong II [UAV],” Jane’s concludes.

In February 2017, Chinese state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) announced that it had scored its first and biggest oversea purchase order for the Wing Loong II by an undisclosed buyer. (Source)

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The UAE acquired the RQ-1E Predator XP in 2013 through domestic prime International Golden Group, under a $197 million deal for an undisclosed number of UAVs. The type has a reduced payload capacity in accordance with the rules of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), ultimately meaning it cannot be armed. 

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Arabian Defense, an aggregator for Arabian defense news.