Xianglong

The Xianglong, also referred to as HQ-4 Dragon or Grand, is an unmanned reconnaissance aerial vehicle being developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Externally the aircraft, which was unveiled during the China Airshow 2006, is very similar to the United States Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk with a distinctive double wing layout called diamond and it is also intended for high altitude, long-endurance strategic reconnaissance missions but only in the Asia-Pacific region. The air vehicle is powered by an old engine associated with the F-7 fighter which provides 4,200-kg of thrust at takeoff. The Xianglong made its maiden flight at some point during 2009 and could achieve initial operational capability (IOC) within the PLAAF by 2015-2020. According to the Chinese media reports, the Xianglong can fly at a cruise speed of 750 kilometers per hour carrying a payload of 650 kg over ranges of 7,000 kilometers. Besides its reconnaissance role, the PLAAF could use the aircraft as a GPS-jammer effectively blocking signals for civilian customers at ranges of 400 kilometers or only 60 kilometers for military customers utilizing advanced precision weapons and sophisticated anti-jamming devices. In the near future it is expected the Xianglong to receive the WS-15 turbofan boosting its performance to 20-24 hours flight endurance (only 10 hours with current engine) and range. The payload could also increase to 900 kilograms using a more powerful engine.

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