Wing Loong II Operators: Specs, Customers and Combat Use

Wing Loong II operators now span the Gulf, Pakistan and a growing group of African air forces, but the evidence behind each name varies from official video to a single satellite image. Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, part of AVIC, builds the medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, which is often compared with the American MQ-9 Reaper at a fraction of the weight. This guide sets out the specifications, the weapons, who flies the aircraft, how confident each claim is, and what is documented from combat.

Wing Loong II: Development and Basic Design

The Wing Loong II was revealed at the Beijing aviation show in 2015 and shown to the public at Airshow China in Zhuhai in November 2016. Its official first flight took place on 27 February 2017. It is a larger, turboprop-powered successor to the piston-engined Wing Loong I, with a pusher propeller and a V-tail that give it a close visual resemblance to the Reaper.

Export sales are handled through the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation, known as CATIC, which is AVIC’s trading arm. In 2018 Pakistan announced joint production of 48 aircraft with Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu, according to the South China Morning Post. No unit price has been published for any export customer.

Specifications and Performance

Figures below come from the manufacturer’s launch material as reported by trade press. Several are vendor claims that have not been independently tested, and sources differ on endurance and ceiling.

Control is by a ground station with a satellite link for beyond-line-of-sight operation. A stabilised electro-optical and infrared turret and a synthetic aperture radar are the standard sensors. The 2017 launch figures were reported by Aviation International News.

Armament and Capabilities

At the 2017 Paris Air Show the manufacturer displayed a wide weapons range: FT-9 and FT-10 guided bombs, LS-6 guided bombs, the YJ-9E missile with an active radar seeker, AG-300/M, CM-502 and TL-2 air-to-surface missiles, and the Norinco Blue Arrow 7. Which of these an export customer has bought is rarely disclosed.

Footage of the aircraft in Côte d’Ivoire shows a configuration that appears to carry a communications-intelligence pod, and Military Africa cites FT-series bombs and the Blue Arrow LJ-7 for the type. That reflects a split role. The drone is used mainly for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, with strike capability available when a customer has bought weapons.

Wing Loong II Operators and Status

The table of Wing Loong II operators separates confirmed use from reports. Quantities are given only where a source states them, and many governments publish nothing. For an Africa-only view with more detail, see which African countries operate the Wing Loong.

The Côte d’Ivoire case is the most recent. The Ivorian Air Force released a video on 10 August 2026 showing two Wing Loong II aircraft, which Military Africa placed at Bouaké air base. The Ivorian defence ministry signed a contract with CATIC in June 2024, but African Pilot notes that neither the ministry nor the air force has publicly tied that contract to the drones. Background is in why Côte d’Ivoire bought the Wing Loong II.

Nigeria is the best-documented African customer. The Chief of the Air Staff disclosed in November 2020 that the air force would receive eight Chinese armed drones: two Wing Loong II, four CH-4 and two CH-3. Serials NAF 141 to 145 were later photographed, which is the basis for the figure of at least five. The wider Nigerian fleet is covered in Chinese drones in Nigeria.

Operational Record and Combat Use

The densest record comes from Libya. The UN Panel of Experts found that the UAE supplied Wing Loong II aircraft that were operated from Al Khadim air base in support of Khalifa Haftar’s forces during the 2019 and 2020 fighting, and that the transfer breached the arms embargo. The UAE denies military involvement in Libya. Losses accumulated after Turkey and Tripoli strengthened their air defences, but no official loss figure exists. Reuters reported in 2026 that the Wing Loong II fleet left Al Khadim in 2020. The detail is in the Wing Loong II Libya combat record.

Yemen is less clear. Houthi forces claimed several Wing Loong shoot-downs from 2019, but the Atlantic Council’s DFRLab assessed one April 2019 wreck as a Wing Loong I and could not say whether a Saudi or Emirati crew had lost it. Variant and operator are both uncertain in much of the Yemen record.

In Nigeria, apparent strikes against armed groups have been seen in online video, but the Air Force has not confirmed individual attacks. The UAE has also been reported by The New York Times to have used Wing Loongs in Sudan in support of the Rapid Support Forces, as cited by Middle East Eye.

The most recent incident came in April 2026, when Iran’s air defences downed a drone over Shiraz. Iranian media first called it an American MQ-9. Open-source analysts then identified it as a Wing Loong II, and Middle East Eye could not independently confirm that analysis. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE is named as the operator in the sources reviewed, and the loss has not been acknowledged.

How It Compares With the Bayraktar TB2 and MQ-9A

The Wing Loong II sits between the light Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and the American MQ-9A. It carries far more than the TB2 but much less than the Reaper, and it flies slower and lower than the American aircraft.

The TB2 and Reaper figures come from Baykar and General Atomics. A full African comparison is in TB2 versus Wing Loong II versus CH-4. The pitch of the Chinese drone to buyers is a cheaper and more readily exportable alternative to Western systems, though no contract price has been published.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which countries are Wing Loong II operators?

Confirmed or well-evidenced users include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, along with China’s own air force. Pakistan has announced joint production of 48. Egypt, Algeria and Morocco are reported but not officially confirmed. Many governments do not publish orders, so every list has gaps.

How many Wing Loong II drones does Nigeria have?

The Nigerian Air Staff announced two Wing Loong II in 2020 as part of an eight-drone Chinese package. Imagery in 2023 showed at least five airframes with serials NAF 141 to 145. The Air Force has published no official fleet count, and its overall drone inventory is not itemised.

How does the Wing Loong II compare with the MQ-9 Reaper?

It is smaller and carries less. Its external payload is 480 kg against 1,361 kg for the MQ-9A, and its ceiling is about 9,000 m against 50,000 ft. Analyst estimates place it well below the Reaper on price, but no export price has been published and those estimates are not contract figures.

What weapons does the Wing Loong II carry?

It has six hardpoints and can carry up to 12 weapons on twin racks, within a 480 kg external limit. Displayed options include FT-series and LS-6 guided bombs, the Blue Arrow 7 missile and the YJ-9E. Exports vary, and customers rarely state which weapons they actually bought.

Sources

• Aviation International News: Chinese UAV spreads its wings, 17 June 2017
• South China Morning Post: China, Pakistan sign deal to build 48 strike-capable Wing Loong II drones
• defenceWeb: Nigerian Air Force getting Wing Loong, CH-3 and CH-4 UAVs
• Military Africa: Nigeria’s Wing Loong II drones arrive from China discreetly
• Military Africa: Ivory Coast confirms newly acquired Chinese Wing Loong II drones
• African Pilot: Côte d’Ivoire confirms acquisition of two Wing Loong II UAVs
• Middle East Eye: Chinese drone downed in Iran, sparking questions about UAE or Saudi Arabian role
• DFRLab: Saudi-led coalition drone downed in Yemen
• Reuters via TBS News: Libya’s Haftar acquires combat drones despite UN embargo
• Baykar: Bayraktar TB2 specifications
• General Atomics Aeronautical Systems: MQ-9A Reaper