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China to sell 48 Wing Loong II military drones to Pakistan

Published on October 11, 2018
China has agreed to sell 48 Wing Loong II high-end armed drones to its all-weather ally Pakistan.
China to sell 48 Wing Loong II military drones to Pakistan
  • This is China's largest export deal for drones to date to any country.
  • The cost of this deal with Pakistan and or when the drones will be delivered were not revealed.
  • Total of 48 Wing Loong II UAVs will be jointly built by China's Chengdu Aircraft Corp (CAC) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Karma.
  • China also has reportedly sold this unmanned aerial system to countries like UAE and Egypt at estimated $1 million per unit.
  • It has also sold the Wing Loong I to Indonesia, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates.

About Wing Loong II:

  • It is a high-end reconnaissance, strike and multi-role endurance unmanned aerial system, capable of being fitted with air-to-surface weapons.
  • It is manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company.
  • It had made its maiden flight in February 2017. 
  • It is the upgraded version of Wing Loong I unmanned aerial system.
  • It is designed for both reconnaissance and strike missions. 
  • It is 11 metres long and has a wingspan of 20.5 metres.
  • It can payload up to 480kg (1,060lbs), including 12 laser guided missiles or YJ-9E anti-ship missiles.
  • It is powered by turboprops and can fly for up to 20 hours at speeds of 150-370km/h. 
  • It can fly at a maximum altitude of 9,000 metres (29,500 feet).
  • It has a capability to attack and destroy stationary targets, moving targets, time sensitive targets and air-ground coordination.
  • It is roughly equivalent to the American MQ-9 Reaper drone. 
  • But US drones like MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper are technologically more advanced compared to this Chinese drone.

About China-Pakistan Defence Relations:

  • China is the largest supplier of weapon systems to the Pakistan Army.
  • It accounted for 70% of Pakistan's arms purchases in 2013-17 period, up from 45% in the previous five years, although sales by volume changed little.
  • Both countries also jointly manufacture JF-Thunder a single engine multi-role combat aircraft.
  • This aircraft has been in mass production in Pakistan and sold to Myanmar and Nigeria.
  • Pakistan has also produced its own drone named Burraq which had made its first flight in 2015 and is believed to have been based on China's multi-purpose medium-range CH-3 drone system.

Question:

Q. Who has agreed to sell 48 Wing Loong II high-end armed drones to Pakistan?
a. U.S
b. China
c. Sweden
d. Russia
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