WZ-7 Xiang Long (soaring Dragon) (bb3e5741-3e86-5665-ad51-e05f195c4648)
The Guizhou WZ‑7 “Xiang Long” (Soaring Dragon) is a high‑altitude, long‑endurance (HALE) UAV built by Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation and designed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. Powered by a single jet engine (WP‑13 turbojet or later WS‑13 turbofan), it cruises at ≈ 750 km/h, can stay aloft for up to 10 hours, and has a 24.86 m wingspan. Though primarily an ISR platform, the WZ‑7 is equipped to feed targeting data to anti‑ship ballistic missiles (e.g., DF‑21D) and cruise‑missile strikes, effectively acting as a “carrier‑killer” sensor. Operational since 2018, it serves PLA Air Force and Naval Air Force units, with documented deployments over the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, the Sea of Japan, and near India’s border, underscoring its role in strategic surveillance and missile‑targeting support.