Wing Loong I

Description

After seeing the potential of UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles) during the Iraq War that began in 2003, a team of engineers from Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group began development on a prototype of their own for the People's Liberation Army Air Forces. After testing, the team would go on to develop the Wing Loong I (翼龙-1; Pterosaur-1), designated by the PLAAF as the GJ-1 (攻击-1; attacker-1), which was shown off at the 2010 Zhuhai air show. It has been in service with the PLAAF since the early-2010s and versions have been exported to multiple countries, especially in Asia and the Middle East.

Introduced in Update "Drone Age", the Wing Loong I is not a researchable vehicle; instead, it is accessible in ground battles by players using Chinese vehicles for a cost of 750 spawn points. Players can use the Wing Loong I's missiles effectively against enemy ground targets from long ranges. However, it is to be noted that the high SP cost to spawn a Strike UCAV should be weighed against other available options, such as aircraft and helicopters. It is recommended to only use the Wing Loong I if the player has no other close-air support option or deems the drone's benefits to be worth the high spawn cost.

General info

Flight performance

Details

Survivability and armour

The Wing Loong I is unarmoured as it is not designed to confront enemies directly. Therefore, its airframe cannot survive much damage from enemy fire. Be it surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, aircraft cannon fire or proximity-fused shells, it is recommended to stay away from the battlefield to avoid getting hit at all costs. The Wing Loong I's long wings are prone to damage. A notable benefit that drones have over manned aircraft is that there is no pilot, so one will not "black out" while initiating high G manoeuvres and control will be able to be maintained as long as the airframe is intact.

Armaments

Suspended armament

The Wing Loong I can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 2 x AKD-9 missiles
• 2 x AKD-10 missiles

Usage in battles

Like other Strike UCAVs in the game, the Wing Loong I is available to all players playing China in high-tier ground battles and is beneficial to players who lack appropriate close air support aircraft or attack helicopter options in their lineup.

The Wing Loong I will spawn at 4,000 m above the battlefield. It is recommended to target enemy SPAAs first. Enemy SPAAs are usually sitting stationary at their spawns, though some anti-aircraft vehicles may be positioned closer to the front lines as well. Taking out these vehicles will allow for friendly aircraft and helicopters to obtain air superiority and begin attacking enemy ground targets unhindered. If there are no SPAAs around, the next important targets will be enemy tanks that are on or near the capture points. Once all armament has been expended, a Wing Loong I pilot has three options:

1. Recon: This involves flying around the battlefield and scanning the area with the Wing Loong I's camera and thermal imager. Enemy ground vehicles across the battlefield can be marked for the team, and enemy heliports and airfields can be monitored for activity.
2. Rearm: A return to the airfield for rearmament. Due to the Wing Loong I's slow speed, it will take a significant amount of time to go to the airfield and then return to battle. Upon approaching the battlefield again, the drone may not be able to climb to an optimal altitude to stay away from enemy air defense. Note that UCAVs cannot resupply at heliports.
3. Respawn: Abandoning the drone and spawning in a new helicopter, aircraft or ground vehicle using spawn points collected while attacking ground targets. After neutralizing enemy SPAA, the skies may be clear enough to continue striking from the air. If other types of enemy vehicles have been destroyed, capture points and strategic positions may be clear to enter on the ground.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Spawns at altitude, near the battlefield
• Excellent stabilized camera with thermal imager
• Decent turn radius
• Effective missile armament
• Small target for enemy air defense
• No pilot to suffer the effects of high G forces

Cons:

• Low maximum speed, can take a long time to enter and return to battle
• Poor climb rate
• Some unusual flight characteristics while manoeuvring
• Unarmoured fuselage and vulnerable long wings
• No countermeasures
• High SP cost compared to other aircraft options

History

Mainland China has closely observed different types of UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles), especially those which have overflown China or have been shot down by the PLAAF. As the US Air Force and Israel have proved the necessity of deploying UCAVs for recon or eliminating ground targets, the development of domestic UCAVs was given the green light in the early 2000s with limited resources under a team headed by Li Yidong (李屹东) of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation.

Li Yidong's team managed to gather spare parts from gliders and civilian products, such as the brakes from motorcycles, and constructed an early prototype within 2 years. However, doing so meant that the team had to build a new UCAV from scratch with every possible new standard introduced to the production specifications. With 100 orders placed overseas and using new technology developed during the production of the Chengdu J-10, the new Wing Loong UCAV was developed and passed for testing in 2007. Its mock-up was first revealed in the 2010 Zhuhai airshow.

Eventually, the Wing Loong was introduced to the People's Liberation Army Air Forces in the early 2010s. The production model was first shown to the public in the 2012 Zhuhai airshow, then the 2015 VJ Day parade as GJ-1 UCAV. Countries in Central Asia and the Middle East purchased multiple batches of these drones and they became the cornerstone of Chinese export weapons. The Wing Loong has scored multiple victories over insurgents and sometimes even fellow UCAVs, alongside the CH (彩虹, Rainbow) series developed by the CASC.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Other Strike UCAVs

• MQ-1
• Orion

External links

• [Wikipedia] CAIG Wing Loong