China breaks new record in drone development: Strategy Page

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-08-10

China's Wing Loong unmanned aerial vehicle (Photo/CNS)

China has broken a record in its drone development by successfully keeping a civilian unmanned aerial vehicle aloft for 30 consecutive hours, reports a Washington-based military website.

The UAV used for the test was designed by the state-run Chinese Academy of Surveying & Mapping for mapping and land use surveys. The previous record for a Chinese drone in the air was 16 hours. Designed with lightweight materials and weighing under 50 kilograms, the drone is capable of carrying lightweight and powerful cameras to economically survey agriculture and natural resources.

In addition, the drones can also be used by the police and security services. "For several decades a growing number of Chinese commercial firms have been developing military UAVs. One of the most powerful of these is the Wing Loong UAV which can be equipped to carry two BA-7 laser guided missiles," said the Strategy Page. Photos and videos of the Wing Loong were revealed by the People's Liberation Army in 2008.

The Strategy Page was able to conclude from promotional materials that the two BA-7s, also known Blue Arrow 7 missiles, are very similar to the US-produced Hellfire. Each of the missiles weighs 47 kilograms and has a max range of 7,000 meters. They were basically designed as laser-guided anti-tank missiles to attack ground targets. China offers the Blue Arrow 7 at a lower (at least a third lower) price than the $70,000 Hellfire and is willing to negotiate.