China has unveiled footage of the maiden flight of its latest drone, Wing Loong I-D, which is designed for long reconnaissance and combat missions and can fly for 35 hours without a need for refueling.
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the latest in the line of ‘Pterosaur’ drones, performed its first 30-minute flight from an undisclosed location in western China on Sunday afternoon, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) said in a statement.
The multi-purpose drone features a fully composite structure and boasts an optimized aerodynamic profile, as well as a high-powered engine. Designed primarily for reconnaissance missions, the Wing Loong I-D also has four pylons and is capable of carrying up to 10 precision strike missiles.
The design allows the drone to fly for 35 hours without the need to refuel even when carrying an external payload of up to 400 kilograms, Jane’s Defence Weekly reported.
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