 |
| China Launches WZ-7 HALE Drone For Its Navy, Here are the Specifications! |
Beijing - The People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command last week released new images of the naval version of the Guizhou WZ-7 Soaring Dragon drone. The drone is operated by the People's Liberation Army Naval Aviation Service (PLANAF).
This High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drone was built by Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation (GAIC) as a long-range drone capable of providing Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The naval version of the WZ-7 is somewhat similar to the US Navy's MQ-4C Triton (a naval variant of the RQ-4 Global Hawk) with a broad maritime surveillance focus mission.
For years, it is known that China has been trying to build Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) capabilities to counter US aircraft carrier groups, by introducing various anti-ship capabilities, including the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile referred to as the “Carrier Killer”.
Like any other weapon, to reach its target (mothership), the drone must first locate it. Well, this WZ-7 variant can be relied upon to hunt it.
Drones use the radar and ESM suite to complement China's existing Maritime ISR network as a key part of the overall “Kill Chain” ecosystem with a focus on performing long-range ISR. It then conveys a tactical maritime overview and builds situational awareness to provide up-to-date targeting information for antiship units.
Regarding specifications, the WZ-7 has a length of 14.3 m, a wingspan of 25 m and a height of 5.4 m. It has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 7,500 kg and a mission payload of 650 kg. The drone is capable of flying up to a maximum altitude of 18,000 m, a cruising speed of 750 km/h and an operating range of 7,000 km.
Quoted from Naval News, on January 1, 2023 the Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed that the Chinese WZ-7 passed through the Miyako Strait, Japan. In addition, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force then sent F-15J fighter jets to intercept and observe the drone as it entered the Japanese Air Defense Identification Zone.