The Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire (FACI) have confirmed they now operate Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones, becoming the second country in West Africa, after Nigeria, to field the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft.
The acquisition first surfaced on 7 August 2026, when a television commentator covering Côte d’Ivoire’s independence day parade mentioned that the air force had acquired Wing Loong IIs, even though the aircraft did not appear in the flyby. FACI removed any doubt on 10 August, releasing video of two Wing Loong IIs on the ground at what analysts identified as Bouaké Air Base in the country’s center.
The delivery traces back to a contract signed in June 2024 between Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Defence, under Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Téné Birahima Ouattara, and the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC), the trading arm of Chinese state aerospace group AVIC. Footage released by FACI shows ground crew working on a Wing Loong II fitted with what appears to be a communications-intelligence (COMINT) pod, suggesting an electronic-surveillance role alongside conventional imagery collection. French-language defence outlet Zone Militaire reports the drones are now flying intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions from Bouaké, with a strike role available if needed.
The Wing Loong II, built by a subsidiary of AVIC, is a turboprop-powered MALE drone that bears a strong external resemblance to General Atomics’ MQ-9 Reaper, sharing a similar wingspan, tail configuration and nose-mounted sensor turret. US analysts have long argued the Chinese airframe trails the Reaper on engine power and range, even if it looks similar on the ramp. By the numbers, the Wing Loong II can stay aloft for roughly 31 to 32 hours in pure ISR configuration and about 26 hours when carrying weapons, cruising near 200 km/h at altitudes up to 9,000 meters. It carries up to 480 kg of ordnance across 6 underwing hardpoints, a load that can include Luoyang FT-series satellite-guided bombs and Blue Arrow LJ-7 air-to-surface missiles, with an electro-optical/infrared turret and synthetic aperture radar for day-and-night tracking.
The Reaper, by comparison, flies higher, up to 50,000 feet; further, a combat radius cited at 1,200 to 2,250 nautical miles, and carries more weight, up to 1,724 kg across 6 to 7 hardpoints, including Hellfire missiles and GPS-guided JDAM bombs.
Nigeria was the first West African state to field the Wing Loong II, taking delivery of at least 5 aircraft in 2023 in a low-profile arrangement, after earlier buying Chinese CH-3 and CH-4 systems. Outside West Africa, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt operate Wing Loong-family drones, while the Democratic Republic of Congo has pursued its own Wing Loong II order and Ethiopia and Angola have taken delivery of other Chinese unmanned systems. Beijing’s drones have become a recurring feature of counter-insurgency campaigns from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, where governments value the combination of low cost, minimal political conditions and reasonably capable sensors.
For Côte d’Ivoire, the drones arrive as part of a broader effort to diversify military suppliers beyond France, its historical partner. Abidjan has set aside roughly $2 billion for defence and security modernization and has been sourcing equipment from Turkey, South Africa, Israel and the United Arab Emirates alongside China. Reporting on the CATIC contract indicates it also covers three K-8 Karakorum jet trainer and light-attack aircraft, built by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, due for delivery before the end of 2026.
The buildup comes as jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates continue to press against Sahelian states to Côte d’Ivoire’s north, a threat Abidjan has cited in past procurement, including a 2021 order for 4 DT-26 surveillance drones from French manufacturer Delair. The Wing Loong IIs give FACI persistent overwatch it previously lacked, useful for monitoring the northern border as well as coastal and maritime approaches. With the K-8 trainer jets expected before year’s end, Côte d’Ivoire’s relationship with Chinese defence suppliers looks set to expand well past this initial drone order.