Last weekend, a drone flown by Pakistan's air force crashed just shy of four miles from an airbase in the Punjab. The drone appears to have been a Chinese-made Wing Loong. The drone, also known as the Pterodactyl, serves with the Chinese military, as well as that of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
When it crashes, its head pops open.
Here, let's try that again with googly eyes.
Until this crash, Pakistan was not a known operator of the Wing Loong. The drone resembles America's iconic Predator drone, and like how the Predator begat the Reaper, there's likely an improved version in the works, which might be what Pakistan is really after.
From IHS Janes:
No official comment has been made on either the type of UAV involved or the crash itself. However, the Pakistani official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, indicated that the crashed UAV - which has the appearance of a Chinese Wing-Loong unmanned combat aerial vehicle - was not among those regularly flown by the Pakistan Air Force, suggesting it may have been a newer platform that was still being tested.
The engines of the Chinese drones appear to lag behind their American counterparts, but America is fairly strict about who it sells advanced technology to. but
For countries that want to buy armed drones, China is happy to fill the void.
