Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Saudi Arabia Buying and Building Chinese Armed Drones
Big new deals follow previous imports by the Kingdom; other countries also buying Chinese UCAVs to avoid Western export restrictions.
The Wing Loong II first flew in late February (main photo, Chinese Internet). The armed CH-4 was unveiled at the Xhuhai airshow in 2012 (inset, Vladimir Karnozov)
The Wing Loong II first flew in late February (main photo, Chinese Internet). The armed CH-4 was unveiled at the Xhuhai airshow in 2012 (inset, Vladimir Karnozov)

Saudi Arabia has now been confirmed as the customer that has ordered from China  a large quantity of the Wing Loong II UCAV that made its first flight on February 27. Chinese state news agency Xinhua said that this is the country’s largest-ever arms export. Media in Saudi Arabia reported that the Kingdom will acquire 300 Chinese UAVs (eg. Wing Loong IIs) worth approximately $10 billion. The Wing Loong (Pterodactyl) series is produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG).