Chengdu WZ-10

Background

The development of the WZ-10 began with the Sky Wing III, a high-speed, high-altitude tactical UAV showcased at the 2007 Paris International Aerospace Exhibition. In 2014, the design evolved into the Wind Shadow, a twin-engine, turbofan-powered prototype with stealth characteristics, which debuted at the Zhuhai Air Show. An export-oriented variant called Cloud Shadow was unveiled at the 2016 Zhuhai Air Show, featuring a single turbojet engine without stealth nozzle concealment.

The UAV's wings, fuselage, and tail are built from composite materials, with a bulbous nose tapering to the rear and an air scoop set over the dorsal line straddled by outward-canted vertical fins, designed to reduce radar cross section. The platform is offered in combat and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) variants. Each Wind Shadow system includes three UAVs linked to one ground control station, with the drone capable of autonomous flight or manual operation via data link.

The WZ-10 has six hardpoints (three per wing) and can carry a 50 kg CS/BBM3 (YL-12) GPS-guided bomb, Blue Arrow air-to-surface missile, 100 kg GB-4 precision-guided bomb, and light cruise missiles. The Wind Shadow variant uses two WS-500 turbofan engines with concealed nozzles, while the Cloud Shadow is powered by a single WP-11C turbojet or optionally two AFE-50E turbofans. In 2018, the China Meteorological Administration used the Wind Shadow for typhoon monitoring under the Haiyan Project. In May 2024, the aircraft was spotted flying over the East China Sea near Okinawa.