Guizhou WZ-7 Soaring Dragon

The Guizhou WZ-7 Soaring Dragon is a high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built for the People's Republic of China. Its joined-wing configuration is distinctive, and while its main job is aerial reconnaissance, it could also supply targeting information for anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles.

Development

Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group handled the design, while Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation carried out construction. A model was shown at the 2006 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, but as of 2011, the drone had not yet flown. It did undergo radar cross-section testing. Serial production ran from 2015 to 2016.

By 2020, a completely reworked version appeared, bearing Chinese Air Force markings. This redesign included V-tails, a WS-13 turbofan engine with a different nozzle, and alterations to the ventral fin and sail structure. The military officially presented the WZ-7 at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2021, and it appeared again in 2022.

Design

The WZ-7 is larger than most UAVs. Its tandem, joined-wing design provides a stiffer, less flexible wing than other setups, reportedly offering a better lift-to-drag ratio and simpler flight controls than a conventional-wing HALE UAV. The engine intake sits on top of the fuselage, with the engine mounted at the rear. The prototype used a Guizhou WP-13 turbojet, a copy of the Soviet Tumansky R-13, though production aircraft were expected to receive an improved powerplant.

The operational version differs noticeably in shape. The prototype’s single vertical tail became a pair of canted tails, and a turbofan engine replaced the turbojet. Because of these changes in engine and aerodynamics, the production model’s endurance is not known, but it could likely stay aloft well beyond the prototype’s advertised 10 hours.

Operational history

The WZ-7 entered People's Liberation Army Air Force service in 2018. Units were deployed to Tibet, Hainan Island, and Yishuntun Airbase near North Korea. On 24 July 2019, one shadowed the USS Antietam as it transited the Taiwan Strait.

In December 2022, reports indicated China had placed WZ-7s near the Indian border in Tibet. On 26 March 2024, a PLA WZ-7 conducted flight maneuvers over the Sea of Japan. Satellite imagery suggests the drone began operating over the South China Sea in 2022.