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.

Max speed

370 km/h

Range

4,000 km

Payload

480 kg

💲 Publicly cited export system unit price estimate

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

63th pct in class
Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.: 220 km/h

50th pct in class
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

75th pct in class
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 9,000 m

38th pct in class
Endurance Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms — higher means longer persistent coverage.: 20 h

25th pct in class

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 12

83th pct in class
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 480 kg

50th pct in class

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

38th pct in class
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 300

38th pct in class
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 10

63th pct in class

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.

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.