Egyptian Air Force Chengdu Wing Loong MALE UCAV
The Egyptian Ministry of Defense (MOD) for the first time released photos and videos of the Egyptian Air Force (EAF) Chengdu Wing Loong-1 Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV).
The Egyptian Air Force Wing Loong UCAV could be seen armed with a pair of Blue Arrow 7 laser guided missiles.
According to the video, the Egyptian Air Force has procured other modern types of UAVs.
The Egyptian military is among the top countries in Africa to deploy armed drones in combat alongside Nigeria and South Africa.
Egyptian Air Force showcase Wing Loong MALE UCAV armed with a pair of Blue Arrow 7 missile for the first time. pic.twitter.com/Xm3IzXXrVl
— AfricanMilitary Blog (@Africanmilitary) October 15, 2018
Chengdu Wing Loong (Pterodactyl) MALE UCAV
Wing Loong also known as the Pterodactyl is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Chengdu Aircraft Design & Research Institute (CADI), a division of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
Chengdu Wing Loong UCAV Role
The Wing Loong UCAV has the ability to perform combat operations and civil tasks such as disaster assessment, meteorological operations, and environmental protection.
A satellite communications antenna, mounted on the bulge at the top front surface of the fuselage, facilitates data transmission between the UAV and the ground control station.
The unmanned combat aerial vehicle can be armed with a variety of weapons including laser-guided bombs and missiles to attack and destroy air or ground-based targets.
Chengdu Wing Loong UCAV Armament
The weaponry options include AKD-10 air-to-surface anti-tank missile, BRMI-90 90mm guided rocket, FT-7/130 small 130kg bomb with planar wing, FT-9/50 50kg bomb for drones, FT-10/25 25kg bomb, GB-7/50 50kg precision-guided munition (PGM), and GB-4/100 PGM.
The Wing Loong UCAV is also equipped with synthetic aperture radar, laser designator, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera, as well as electronic countermeasures.
Chengdu Wing Loong UCAV performance
The Wing Loong has a maximum flight speed of 280km/h, can operate over a range of 4,000km, and fly up to a maximum height of approximately 5km.It can perform missions for more than 20 hours and can transmit data over a line of sight (LOS) range of 200km.