Iran shot down a UAV suspected of being made in China

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced on April 3 that the country’s air defense force shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the southern city of Shiraz, and at the same time published images of aircraft parts collected at the scene.

Based on the technical characteristics of the fragment, including the shape of the body frame, wing and tail structure, military experts believe that this is a Wing Loong II model produced by China.

“This may be clear evidence showing the direct participation of some neighboring countries in the aggressive campaign conducted by the US and Israel against Iran. We need an explanation from one of the two regional countries that are operating this type of UAV,” Mr. Baghaei said, but did not name the specific country.

Military site Defence Security Asia said that only two Gulf countries own the Wing Loong II UAV: ​​Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Officials from these two countries have not commented on the information.

Wing Loong II is a long-range reconnaissance and attack UAV produced by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which began operating in 2017.

The aircraft is equipped with optical and electronic sensors, satellite communication systems and can carry up to 12 guided weapons, with an operating radius of more than 1,500 km.

The UAE is the first foreign customer for the Wing Loong II series, with about 15 aircraft on order. Saudi Arabia does not announce the number of Wing Loong II aircraft in service, but the military analysis group does Army Recognition It is estimated that this country may have ordered up to 300 units.

The appearance of the Wing Loong II UAV in the sky of Shiraz, an area deep in Iranian territory and near military facilities, made experts believe that it was shot down while performing a reconnaissance mission, not flying into Iranian airspace.

If confirmed, the incident could be a sign that some Gulf countries are becoming more deeply involved in military operations or providing intelligence support in the US-Israel campaign. This could increase the risk of escalating tensions in the region, which have increased since the conflict broke out on February 28.

Tehran has repeatedly warned neighboring countries not to let Washington – Tel Aviv use their territory to launch attacks against Iran, and affirmed that they will respond to relevant targets if this is detected.