China gaining bigger global market share in military drones

China is gaining a bigger share in the international military drone market, according to a senior executive in a state-owned aviation company.

Ma Zhiping, general manager of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp, said at least one buyer wants its homegrown Wing Loong unmanned aerial vehicle.

According to the China Daily, Zgiping's company is the biggest exporter of aviation defense products in China and has a strong presence in the global military aircraft market.

He said during the Paris Air Show in June that two nations had bought Wing Loong drones. His latest remarks indicate the drone has been delivered to a third or perhaps more foreign users.

He said that China has allocated considerable resources to boost the sales of their UAVs, and their efforts are proving effective and fruitful.

Wing Loong was developed independently by China with full intellectual property rights, meeting the requirements of the international market. The project was started in 2005 and the maiden flight took place in 2007.

Chinese drones such as the Wing Loong have huge potential as exports, according to Wang Ya'nan, deputy editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine.

He said that Chinese drones are technologically close to those of the United States and Israel, but have a more competitive price, the report added.