Interestingly it seems that WL-X/3 has actually flown at some point in the past but we didn't know about it (not abnormal per se)
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Are Wing Loong 3 and X the same?Interestingly it seems that WL-X/3 has actually flown at some point in the past but we didn't know about it (not abnormal per se)
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Are Wing Loong 3 and X the same?
翼龙-X总师:反潜型翼龙-X可对关键地区进行封控反潜】11月12日,第十五届中国国际航空航天博览会在珠海国际航展中心开幕,本届航展上由中国航空工业集团自主研制的“翼龙”“云影”系列共二十余型先进无人机集体参展,其中翼龙-X无人机综合反潜构型首次展示。该型号总师唐勇11月13日在接受《环球时报》记者采访时表示,翼龙-X无人机目前正处于试验试飞阶段,反潜构型的翼龙-X可执行对关键地区的封控反潜任务。
面对远域实战场景作战需求,本届航展上,中国航空工业集团推出了翼龙-X无人机。该机创新融入了当今无人机领域最新成果,堪称是中空长航时无人机系统产品的“天花板”,处于国际先进水平。
据《环球时报》记者了解,翼龙-X无人机是集远航程、重挂载、多用途等众多优点于一身,极具领先的竞争力。该型号总师唐勇11月13日在接受《环球时报》记者采访时透露,目前,翼龙-X无人机正处于试验试飞阶段。该机在多种先进能力的支持下,能够执行全域侦察打击、跨域支援协同、对抗环境作战和应急救援行动等作战任务。
本次航展现场上,翼龙-X无人机首次以综合反潜构型展示,搭载了声呐浮标吊舱、鱼雷、空空导弹、空舰导弹等多种载荷。唐勇介绍称,翼龙-X无人机在多种先进能力支持下,能够执行全域侦察打击、跨域支援协同、对抗环境作战和应急救援行动等作战任务。可执行海上护卫、反潜作战、空中近地支援、反辐射打击、低空警戒与拦截、电子侦察与干扰、通信中继、海上搜救等多种任务,在不同作战场景中发挥重要作用。
“其中,反潜巡逻主要遂行海上广域侦察监视、综合搜潜攻潜、远域巡逻和反潜作战,可对关键地区进行封控反潜,还可融入体系协同作战等任务。”唐勇表示,翼龙-X的综合反潜能力可为海洋安全的维护提供关键支持,进一步引领无人机察打能力从对地单空间,拓展到对空、水上和水下全空间覆盖。(环球时报—环球网报道 记者 樊巍)
Misc. affordable UAV solutions.
On WL-X
confirms it has entered test flight. ASW version is mentioned and can carry sonar buoys, torpedos, AAM, Anti-ship missiles. Can also do search and rescue, maritime reconnaissance, long range patrol and such.
What's known about the annual production rates of these large MALE/HALE airframes? I recall there was a post earlier in the thread about a new factory in Chengdu with 200/yr, not sure if that's only for a specific model or all their UAVs in general. But how many factories like that are there? I assume current in service numbers are quite low so annual rates are a good indicator of numbers we can expect by a few years time.Given the scale and intensity of maritime patrol & surveillance and anti-submarine warfare demands which are to be expected in the ECS, SCS and throughout the WestPac in general - China will definitely need (at least) low-to-mid hundreds of these MALE/HALE MP/ASW U(C)AVs to complement the Y-8/9 ASW aircraft fleet.
Yeah, do we have a rough idea on how many units are for export per year? And how many their older factories can contribute.The new factory is just for CAC types i.e. Wing Loon