Algeria To Receive A New Squadron Of Advanced Drones
The Algerian Air Force intends to purchase a new squadron of advanced drones, the Mena Defense website, which specializes in military affairs, published on Friday.
The website indicated that the Algerian air force, which already deploys six types of drones, four of which are attack drones, has reportedly ordered 24 WingLoong II tank fighter planes from the Chinese AVIC.
“Deliveries are expected to start at the end of this year and end in 2022. WingLoong II has proven itself in many operations such as Egypt and Yemen. It is of the intermediate class between the CH-4 and the MQ-9 Predator, the website added.
“It still displays better performance than the CH-4 which has been used in Algeria for five years. For example, it takes 150 kg more weapons than the CH-4 and can benefit from larger and heavier optronic balls or combine its attack load with passive loads like jammers or transmission relays. It far exceeds the CH-4 in terms of speed, which cuts its response times by half”.
WingLoong 2 has 12 to 16 points of pay and can fire smooth or guided bombs and anti-tank and anti-personnel missiles. It can be fitted with the BA-7 Air-to-Ground missile, the YZ-212 laser-guided bomb, the YZ-102A anti-personnel bomb and the 50 kg LS-6 guided bomb as well. In addition, it fires the new Red Arrow anti-tank missile, equivalent to the American Javelin.
“The approximate price of this drone is $ 5 million each, which is seven times cheaper than its American counterpart”, the website said.
AVIC presented the Wing Loong II at the Air Expo in Beijing in September 2015, and a prototype of the aircraft was first presented to the public during the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition 1 – 6 November 2016.
