AVIC's Wing Loong-X unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), with potentially compatible weaponry, is displayed at Airshow China 2024 at Zhuhai on 13 November 2024. (Chen Jimin/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has revealed that its new Wing Loong-X (WL-X) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) will have anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities.
The WL-X, which was displayed at Airshow China 2024 being held at Zhuhai from 12 to 17 November, is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UCAV, according to AVIC.
At the defence show, the WL-X was shown equipped with a suite of ASW/ASuW weapons and systems, including sonobuoy dispensers, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, and air-to-air missiles (AAMs). In its eight underwing hardpoints, the WL-X mounted four sonobuoy dispenser pods, an ET-60 lightweight electric propulsion torpedo, two PL-108 Lite AAMs, and a YJ-9E lightweight anti-ship missile.
Other weapons arrayed alongside the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) included PL-12 and PL-10 AAMs, an LD-8A anti-radiation missile, a CM-400AKG anti-ship missile, and LS-6 250 kg and 500 kg precision-guided munitions (PGMs). It is possible that the UCAV will also be equipped with electronic warfare (EW) pods, such as China's communication reconnaissance jamming pod (CRJP), or communications intelligence (COMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) pods.
The UCAV's maximum payload capacity is unclear. While AVIC said that the UAV is “capable of carrying a heavy payload”, the corporation did not provide specifics. The Chinese state-owned broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), has reported that the WL-X is currently China's largest and heaviest armed unmanned reconnaissance/strike platform.
According to CCTV, the UCAV is currently undergoing test flights and added that it will be capable of operating at an altitude of 32,000 ft and have an endurance of 40 hours, depending on the payload configuration.
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