UAV
MQ-9 Reaper vs Chengdu Wing Loong II
The Wing Loong II is marketed explicitly against the Reaper class and has won export orders where US sales were restricted. Comparing the two frames the price-versus-capability trade that defines the non-US MALE market.
Specification comparison
| Specification | MQ-9 Reaper | Chengdu Wing Loong II |
|---|---|---|
| Range | 1850 km | Not publicly disclosed |
| Endurance | 27 h | 32 h |
| Ceiling | 15240 m | 9900 m |
| Max speed | 482 km/h | 370 km/h |
| MTOW | 4760 kg | 4200 kg |
| Payload | 1746 kg | 480 kg |
| Hardpoints | 7 | 6 |
| Nav | Not publicly disclosed | GNSS/INS |
| Seeker | Not publicly disclosed | EO/IR + LRF + SAR option |
Values are reproduced exactly as recorded in the DroneZone systems database. Where a figure is absent from the public record, it is marked “Not publicly disclosed” rather than estimated.
How to read this
On the attributes both systems publish as directly comparable numbers, the recorded figures break down as follows.
- MQ-9 Reaper lists 27 h endurance against Chengdu Wing Loong II's 32 h.
- MQ-9 Reaper lists 15240 m ceiling against Chengdu Wing Loong II's 9900 m.
- MQ-9 Reaper lists 482 km/h max speed against Chengdu Wing Loong II's 370 km/h.
- MQ-9 Reaper lists 4760 kg mtow against Chengdu Wing Loong II's 4200 kg.
- MQ-9 Reaper lists 1746 kg payload against Chengdu Wing Loong II's 480 kg.
- MQ-9 Reaper lists 7 hardpoints against Chengdu Wing Loong II's 6.
Figures as stated by manufacturers and public documentation; class-level estimates are marked as such in the entries themselves.