A Chinese Wing Loong 10 UAV has been intercepted by the JASDF fighters for the first time.
On May 27, 2024, the JASDF (Japan Air Self-Defence Force) intercepted a Chinese WingLoong 10 UAV over the East China Sea. According to a statement by the Joint Staff of the Japanese Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces, this was the first time the type (referred to as WL-10, from WingLoong 10, by the Japanese MOD, but reportedly designated WZ-10 by the PLA) was monitored by Japanese fighters.
令和6年5月27日(月)中国のWL-10偵察/攻撃型無人機x1機が、東シナ海上空を飛行し、#航空自衛隊 #南西航空方面隊 の戦闘機を #緊急発進 させ対応しました。隊領空侵犯措置においてこの機体を確認したのは初めてです。#スクランブル pic.twitter.com/cJSBEA2kym
— 防衛省統合幕僚監部 (@jointstaffpa) May 27, 2024
The close encounter with the WZ-10 is particularly interesting as very little has emerged so far about this unmanned aircraft: developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG), a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the WingLoong 10 is a HALE (High Altitude Long Endurange) drone with radar-evading features said to have a wingspan of around 20 meters (65 feet), a length of about 9 meters (29 feet), and a height of approximately 4 meters (13 feet). Its MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight) is about 3,200 kilograms.
In terms of performance, the WZ-10 is believed to be able to operate as altitudes up to 49,000 feet with an endurance of 20 hours at a cruising speed of 330 knots.
The main mission of the Wing Loong-10 family of jet-powered UAVs is to serve as as an electronic warfare platform. In this respect, it’s not completely clear though its capabilities in the field of EW are actually more focused on the passive/gathering aspect and it is therefore more of an ELINT platform with ESM sensors than an unmanned aircraft with active/ECM capabilities. That being said it’s also important to highlight that the Wing Loong-10 UAVs and in particular its earlier prototypes have been on display at various airshows (including Dubai 2017) in configurations featuring up to six hardpoints, three on each wing, to mount weapons such as precision-guided bombs and air-to-surface missiles. This makes the WZ-10 and its various variants capable of conducting strike missions.
Anyway, the WZ-10 has reportedly entered service with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) quite recently.
As it seems, the WingLoong 10 has finally entered PLAAF service, allegedly as a dedicated EW-UAV with the official designation WZ-10.
(Images via CCTV-13) pic.twitter.com/kPoCE82gVw
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) November 6, 2022
Chinese military aviation researcher and expert Andreas Rupprecht says the type is in service with the 16th Specialised Division, 48th Air Regiment, most probably at Shangliao, with Foshan possibly used as a Forward Operating Base.
Great 😮 … finally revealed at the Changchun Aviation Exhibition：the PLAAF operates its WZ-10 (WingLoong-10) UAV within the 16th Specialised Division, 48th Air Regiment – most likely at Shangliao – together with the WZ-7.
(Image via @太湖军I名 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/CgQEhnvhgD
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) July 24, 2023
That’s indeed interesting, since Foshan is most likely acting only as a FOB. Known so far the WZ-10 is onyl in service within the 16th Air Division’s (16th Specialised Division) 48th Air Regiment, which – per my information – is based at Shangliao.@JosephWen___ pic.twitter.com/o67pJg7oFe
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) January 22, 2024
