CAIG Wing Loong-10
The Wind Shadow () and Cloud Shadow (), also known as Wing Loong-10 (), is a series of unmanned aerial vehicles of the High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) type, featuring a stealthy air-frame. it is being developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group for reconnaissance and precision strike missions. History. In 2007, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group showcased Sky Wing III () high-speed, high-altitude, tactical unmanned aerial vehicle on the 47th Paris International Aerospace Exhibition. The drone is externally similar to General Atomics Avenger, which was under development at the time. According to the manufacturer, The drone has a  15 km celling and 750 km/h speed, and the endurance is 6 hours. In 2014, the Sky Wing III was renamed to Wind Shadow with a twin-engine, longer endurance design featuring stealth characteristic. An export-orientated version called Cloud Shadow was unveiled at Zhuhai Air Show in 2016. The primary difference between Wind Shadow and Cloud Shadow is the engine. Wind Shadow features twin-engine, stealth nozzle, and is turbofan powered. However, Cloud Shadow features a single turbojet engine without any stealth concealment for the nozzle. In 2018, China Meteorological Administration launched Haiyan Project, a meteorological observation experiment . Wind Shadow is used by the China Meteorological Administration to monitor typhoon movement. Military observers noted that Wind Shadow is also called Wing Loong-10, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) product line manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, though Wing Loong series previously only had turboprop UAVs. Design. According to GlobalSecurity.org, the Wind Shadow variant with two engines is designed for PLA domestic service while the single-engined Cloud Shadow is export oriented. Wind Shadow. The Wind Shadow, designed and constructed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation for service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force, debuted at the 2014 Zhuhai Air  Show. The UAV's wings, fuselage and tail sections are built using composite materials. The bulbous nose assembly is well-streamlined and tapers to the rear to which an air scoop is set over the dorsal line. The scoop is straddled by outward-canted vertical fins. The radar cross section is designed to be reduced. The UAV is offered in two variants, combat and ISR variant, stands for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The combat version comes with a range of weaponry to attack ground-based targets, on the other hand the ISR variant is provided with payloads to assist armed  forces in missions such as reconnaissance, battlefield assessment, observation, and monitoring. Each Wind Shadow unmanned aircraft system includes three unmanned aerial vehicles, linked with one ground control station, and strike payloads. Cloud shadow UAV ground station by configuration can control three unmanned aerial vehicles to engage simultaneously, the usage of drones can be flexibly configured according to user needs. On manual mode of operation, the operator sends mission commands to the aircraft via the data link. On auto mode the drone will autonomously use the onboard autopilot system. The UAV wing has six pilons. With a take-off weight of  3,200kg and a payload capacity of 400 kg, the drone can be equipped with 50 kg CS/BBM3 (YL-12) GPS guided bomb, Blue Arrow air-to-surface missile, 100 kg GB-4 precision-guided bomb, and light cruise missiles. Cloud shadow drone is powered by a single WP-11C turbojet engine, or a single 1-ton class ZF850 engine, or optionally two AFE-50E turbofan engines. Wind shadow features two WS-500 turbofan engines, and the engine nozzles are concealed inside the vehicle body with stealth features. In addition, a deceleration parachute is mounted in between the engine nozzles. CAIG Wing Loong-10 The