# UAE deploys Wing Loong II UCAV to Eritrea

- Link: https://www.military.africa/2018/08/uae-deploys-wing-loong-ii-ucav-to-eritrea/
- Published: 2018-08-16T22:08:18+01:00
- Author: Sarah Lesedi

Recent satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe images taken from 3 August shows a UAV
matching the dimensions of the Chinese-made Wing Loong II UCAV deployed in Assab
Airport, Eritrea.

 

![Wing Loong II weapons load out on display](military.africa/wp-content/uploads/
2018/08/Wing-loong-ii-uav-300x169.png)

Wing Loong II weapons load out on display

The satellite image confirms that the United Arab Emirates has deployed at least
one of its new Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Wing Loong II unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) to its base at Assab airport in Eritrea.

The UAE which is the first export customer of the Chinese-made Wing Loong II is 
reported to have ordered an undisclosed number of armed Wing-Loong II UCAVS in 2017.
Prior to the deployment, Eritrean and the United Arab Emirates Air Force officials
constructed two new 26×21 metres aircraft shelters in early March.

![UAE Chinese Wing Loong II drones at its secretive Qusahwirah Air Base near Oman&
Saudi Arabia](military.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_20180816_222002-275x300.
jpg)

UAE Chinese Wing Loong II drones at its secretive Qusahwirah Air Base near Oman &
Saudi Arabia

These new shelters are slightly larger than the existing ones that are used by the
Dassault Mirage 2000 jets and IOMAX Archangel turboprops the United Arab Emirates
has at the base to support military operations across the Red Sea in Yemen.

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The Chengdu Pterodactyl I also known as Wing Loong , is a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance(
MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), designed and developed by the Chengdu Aircraft
Design Institute (CADI),  a division of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China(
AVIC), in the People’s Republic of China.  Intended for use as a surveillance and
aerial reconnaissance platform, and ground attack.

![Wing Loong II side view, Dubai Air Show 2017](military.africa/wp-content/uploads/
2018/08/IMG_20180816_223416-300x225.jpg)

Wing Loong II side view, Dubai Air Show 2017

Powered by a turpoprop engine, the Wing Loong II has a range of 4,000 km (2,485 
mi; 2,160 nmi), an endurance of 20 hours, and a ceiling of 5,000 m (16,000 ft). 
It can carry a 1,000 kg payload, including sensors and laser-guided missiles, such
as the Chinese-made AR-1 ground-attack weapon, and FT-1 precision-guided bombs with
a range of up to 6.2miles (10km). ⌊UAE deploys Wing Loong II UCAV to Eritrea⌉

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This latest development highlights the growing military assertiveness of the UAE,
since 2016, the small Gulf nation has been trying to establish itself as the West’s
primary counterterrorism partner in the region while simultaneously bolstering its
military capabilities through arms deals with Beijing.

Similarly, the United States has recently started [arming its fleet](https://www.military.africa/2018/08/uae-deploys-wing-loong-ii-ucav-to-eritrea/military.africa/2018/08/u-s-mq-9-reaper-drones-in-niger-are-now-armed)
of MQ-9 Drones stationed in the West African nation of Niger earlier this year, 
according to the U.S. Africa Command.

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