Lingque-150 -- composite wing unmanned aerial vehicle Photo: Courtesy of China North Industries Group Corporation

China has successfully conducted the maiden flight of a newly developed heavy-lift "Lingque-150" composite wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a milestone in the country's rapidly expanding drone sector.  

According to the Science and Technology Daily on Thursday, the "Lingque 150" (LQ‑150) is a 200‑kilogram‑class heavy‑load, long‑endurance composite‑wing unmanned aerial vehicle, which is independently developed by Xi'an Aisheng Technology Group, a subsidiary of China North Industries Group Corp.

According to the company, the successful flight test fully verified the airworthiness and reliability of the LQ 150, as well as the onboard low-cost multipurpose flight control system, universal mission payload servo mechanism, human machine intelligent command-and control system, and a compact ground station.

As a new member of the Lingque family, the LQ-150 drone features advantages including high performance, low cost, strong environmental adaptability, and broad mission expansion potential. 

Guided by the design principle of "one aircraft, multiple functions," the LQ-150 can use "flexible payload swapping to carry a variety of equipment, including public network base stations, communication relay devices, electro-optical pods, and SAR radar, said the company.

The equipment is designed to operate reliably even in demanding environments such as high-altitude plateaus and maritime conditions, enabling sustained mission performance across a wide range of scenarios, the company said.

China's drone market is experiencing robust growth, driven by technological advances and expanding applications across multiple sectors. The drone market size is projected to grow from $2.7 billion in 2025 to $5.22 billion by 2035, with the compound annual growth rate of 6.7 percent over the 2025-2035 period, according to Market Research Future.

Global Times