Announcing the deal on its
official Facebook account on Sunday, the Pakistan Air Force's Sherdils
Aerobatic Team did not reveal how much it was worth, when it was struck or when
the Wing Loong IIs will be delivered, the report added.
But the air force academy
aerobatics team announced that in the future the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex
Kamra and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China 's Chengdu Aircraft Industrial
(Group) Company will jointly manufacture the drones.
It is pertinent to mention here
that India sealed a major
deal to acquire S-400 air defense system from Russia affecting the balance of
power in the South Asian region. The agreement to buy the world's most lethal
surface-to-air missile system was reached during Viladimir Putin’s visit to New
Dehli last week.
Wing Loong II, made by Chengdu
Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company, is a high-end reconnaissance and strike
multi-role endurance unmanned aircraft system.
It made its maiden flight in
February last year, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The largest overseas order for
Wing Loong IIs was obtained even before the maiden flight, Xinhua reported. The
report did not specify the buyer.
A deal involving as many as 48
Wing Loong IIs, if confirmed, would be China 's largest export deal for
drones to date, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the
Global Times on Monday.
Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group
did not confirm the deal when reached by the Global Times as of press time.
It makes sense the aerobatic team
was closely involved with the deal, Song said, noting that the team is expected
to train the drone operators.
The deal is trustworthy given the
close military ties between the two countries and Pakistan 's need for drones, Song
said.
US drones like the MQ-1 Predator
and MQ-9 Reaper are technologically more advanced, but Washington limits their export, Song said.
Chinese drones will enjoy more
success in the international market in the future, he said, as they perform
similarly at a lower cost.
"Chinese UAVs (unmanned
aerial vehicles) like Caihong series also has clients from countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia ," Song said.
Source: ThenewsPK
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