At Dubai Airshow 2025 China unveils Wing Loong X drone with first submarine-hunt capability.

The state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) showcased the new Wing Loong X unmanned aerial vehicle at the Dubai Airshow 2025, as its first model, claimed to independently detect, track, and engage submarines. This development signals a major escalation in maritime unmanned warfare and positions China as a potential leader in a naval domain long dominated by Western powers.

At the Dubai Airshow 2025, China’s Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) presented for the first time the full-scale model of its new Wing Loong X unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), touted as the world’s first drone capable of detecting, tracking, and engaging submarines independently. According to AVIC and Chinese state-media disclosures, the Wing Loong X is configured for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) with sonobuoy dispensers, lightweight torpedoes, and integrated maritime surveillance sensors, a marked leap in unmanned maritime combat platforms. U.S. defence analysts say the system underscores China’s aspiration to challenge Western naval dominance in undersea and surface warfare.
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China’s Wing Loong X was unveiled for the first time at the Dubai Airshow 2025, featuring submarine-hunting capabilities and long-endurance flight performance. (Picture source: OSINTWarfare X account)

With a wingspan exceeding 20 meters, the Wing Loong X is currently China’s largest and heaviest armed reconnaissance and strike UAV. The aircraft is designed for high-altitude, long-endurance missions and boasts a maximum flight ceiling of 10,000 meters, with an operational endurance of up to 40 hours. This extended loitering capability allows the drone to persist over key maritime zones far longer than manned aircraft, offering uninterrupted surveillance and rapid strike potential in blue-water and littoral environments alike.

More than just a surveillance tool, the Wing Loong X introduces a new multi-mission dimension to unmanned systems. Equipped with advanced sensor payloads, it can deploy sonar buoys, conduct acoustic analysis, and coordinate with other airborne or naval platforms in real time. Its modular armament configuration supports air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and, notably, lightweight torpedoes, positioning it as a true multi-domain asset capable of prosecuting underwater, aerial, and surface threats. AVIC engineers confirmed the drone is built to operate autonomously or as part of a networked swarm, leveraging artificial intelligence to fuse sonar and radar inputs and execute targeting decisions with minimal human input.

The concept behind the Wing Loong X marks a clear strategic pivot for China’s UAV doctrine. Unlike earlier Wing Loong iterations that focused on land-attack roles and export appeal, the X model reflects an integrated maritime warfare philosophy. Its persistent presence and networked operations suggest a vision where drone formations act as force multipliers, patrolling key sea lanes and strategic chokepoints such as the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the Western Pacific. In these contested regions, the ability to detect and engage submarines from the air without relying on costly and vulnerable manned patrol aircraft could tip the balance of undersea dominance.

While Chinese defense firms have routinely emphasized capability over transparency, the Wing Loong X appears to introduce a real technological inflection point. It blends the endurance and modularity of Western HALE platforms with a mission set that few other UAVs have approached. Chinese media outlets affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army have suggested the system incorporates onboard AI for real-time target classification and engagement. If operationally validated, such a system could surpass current NATO unmanned anti-submarine warfare capabilities, which remain largely limited to sensor deployment and passive tracking.

At the Dubai Airshow, the drone’s unveiling was met with both interest and scrutiny from international defense observers. The concept of an unmanned aerial platform autonomously detecting and engaging submarines presents a disruptive shift in naval warfare dynamics. However, questions persist regarding the system’s maturity, integration with existing naval command structures, and its ability to function reliably in complex maritime environments. China’s history of presenting advanced systems before full operational capability has made Western analysts cautious. Until the Wing Loong X is observed in real-world maritime operations, its true effectiveness remains speculative.

Nonetheless, the platform’s introduction underscores Beijing’s intent to contest not only the skies but also the depths of future battlefields. By pushing unmanned systems into the traditionally stealth-dominated undersea domain, China is challenging established doctrines and accelerating a technological race that may redefine how navies monitor, deter, and strike beneath the waves.