Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle WZ-7, also known as Xianglong ("Soaring Dragon"), was first demonstrated at the International Aviation and Space Salon Airshow China 2021 in Zhuhai.
A characteristic feature of this UAV is the closed contour of the wing.
It is reported that the drone is already being mass-produced and is in service with the air Force of the People's Liberation Army. Its purpose is to perform reconnaissance missions at high altitude.
According to unofficial data, it can climb up to 18,500 meters. At the same time, the take-off weight reaches 7,500 kg, and the payload weight is at least 650 kg. The maximum flight speed is 750 km / h. The range is 7000 km.
A drone equipped with the latest equipment can stay in the air for a long time, patrolling areas of the sea and land of interest to the Chinese military.
In recent years, a large number of different drones have been created in China, for example, in addition to the WZ-7, the WZ8 rocket plane and a prototype of the CH-6 jet being created, capable of performing both reconnaissance and strike missions, were also presented in Zhuhai.
In the latter version, it is capable of carrying up to 2000 kg of load and attacking targets located at a distance of 4500 km. The maximum flight speed is 800 km/h. The practical ceiling is 12,000 meters.
Alexey Brusilov
