Wing-Loong 1 UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle able to perform combat missions with bombs & rockets 211114.

The Chengdu Pterodactyl I also known as Wing-Loong is a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), developed by the Chinese Defense Company AVIC ( Aviation Industry Corporation of China).

The Chinese Armed Forces currently employ UAVs in a wide range of missions, though the extent to which it does so and its level of overall proficiency and integration are unclear. According to official press, the PLA has incorporated UAVs into large-scale, multi-force training exercises over the last several years.

This platform is capable of reconnaissance, surveillance, and meteorological operations. At the AirShow China in Zhuhai, the Chinese Air Force display the Wing-Loong with its full range of weapon systems and optics showing its capabilities to conduct combat missions.

The Wing-Loong UAV at AirShow China 2014 was exhibited along with seven weapons including missiles and bombs: FT-9/50 50 kg bomb for drone, FT-10/25 25 kg bomb for drone, BRMI-90 90mm guided rocket, GB-4/100 precision guided munition, GB-7/50 50 kg precision guided munition, FT-7/130 small 130 kg bomb with planar wing.

This UAV can also be armed with the AKD-10, an air-to-surface anti-tank missile which can be used not only for armored targets, but also against bunkers, fortifications, and vehicles without armor.

The 1,100 kg Wing Loong is about the same size as the American MQ-1 Predator and can fly for over 4,000 kilometers in 20 hours. It has 200kg payload of armaments and sensors. The electro-optical turret in the Wing Loong's nose makes it highly adept at surveillance and targeting.

On April 19, 2104, Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz meet with People's Liberation Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. General Wang Guanzhong to sign a contract for an unspecified amount of Wing-Loong UAVs.

The United Arab Emirates had reportedly purchased the Wing Loong in 2011, though the first examples had heating problems in the desert climate.