CAIG Wing Loong vs IAI Searcher: Specs Compared

FORCETALLY

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CAIG Wing Loong — licensed reference photograph

ADrones & UAVs

CAIG Wing Loong

MALE UCAV

Credit

Baiweiflight · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

IAI Searcher — licensed reference photograph

BDrones & UAVs

IAI Searcher

Reconnaissance UAV

Credit

Itayba · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

CAIG Wing LoongWing Loong I · Length

9.05 m

Length source ↗

IAI SearcherLength

5.85 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

17 of 54 rows sourced on both sides

9.05mWing Loong I · Length

5.85m

Length

All recorded figures & sources

9.05 m

Wing Loong I · Length

Single source

9.05 m (29 ft 8 in)^[source]

5.85 m

Length

Single source

Configuration

Details

CAIG Wing Loong and IAI Searcher configuration
Specification	CAIG Wing Loong	IAI Searcher
Crew	None (UAV)^[source]	Unmanned^[source]
Type	MALE UCAV^[source]	Reconnaissance UAV^[source]
Manufacturer	Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group^[source]	IAI^[source]
Designer	Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute^[source]	—
Status

Primary users	People's Liberation Army Air Force Egyptian Air Force United Arab Emirates Air Force Pakistan Air Force^[source]	Sri lanka^[source]

Manufactured	2009^[source]	—

Introduction date	2011^[source]	Searcher 1 - 1992 Searcher 2 - 1998^[source]

First flight	2009^[source]	—

Developed into	CAIG Wing Loong II^[source]	—

Propellers	3-bladed^[source]	Born Propeller 120cm 3 blade adjustable pitch^[source]

Country of origin	People's Republic of China^[source]	—

National origin	—	Israel^[source]

Capacity	—	68 kg (150 lb) payload^[source]

Loiter speed	—	110 to 150 km/h; 69 to 92 mph (60 to 80 kn)^[source]

Former operator · India	—	India^[source]

Former operator · Singapore	—	Singapore^[source]

Role	—	reconnaissance UAV^[source]

Source measurement	—	The Searcher looks almost identical to the Scout and Pioneer , but is in fact scaled up and is well over twice the size of the Scout. The Searcher is powered by a 35 kW (47 hp ) piston engine. The new design features updated avionics and sensor systems with greater flight endurance as well as increased redundancy for improved survivability. In addition to Israel, the system had been exported and is or was in use by Singapore and Turkey , as well as Thailand , Russia , India , South Korea , and Sri Lanka .^[source]IAI Searcher · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage 10 June 2002 – Searcher Mark-II, operated by Indian Air Force for reconnaissance, was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force F-16B using AIM-9L Sidewinder at an altitude of 13,000 ft, after it was spotted by the mobile observation units.^[source]IAI Searcher · Crashes; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage 11 July 2018 – A Russian "Forpost" UAV was found on 12 July in a field close to the village of Barqah, about 12 kilometres from the Israeli side of the Golan Heights (Syria) but none of the belligerents claimed the shot-down nor the loss.^[source]IAI Searcher · Crashes; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage 18 March 2024 – a Searcher Mk-II drone of the Indian Navy crashed while landing after a routine training sortie at INS Garuda. The UAV touched the ground about one mile short of the runway at 5 pm IST . No injuries or damage to property has been reported. A team was immediately dispatched to render the UAV safe.^[source]IAI Searcher · Crashes; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Capacity: 68 kg (150 lb) payload^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Length: 5.85 m (19 ft 2 in)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Wingspan: 8.55 m (28 ft 0 in)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Height: 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Payload: 120 kg (260 lb)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Powerplant: 1 × Limbach L 550 , 35 kW (47 hp)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Propellers: Born Propeller 120cm 3 blade adjustable pitch^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Maximum speed: 201 km/h (125 mph, 110 kn)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Range: 350 km (220 mi, 190 nmi)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Endurance: 20 hours^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Service ceiling: 6,100 m (21,000 ft)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Loiter speed: 110 to 150 km/h; 69 to 92 mph (60 to 80 kn)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage According to a YouTube video and information published by the Russian Ministry of Defense on March 13, 2022 (three weeks after the start of Russo-Ukrainian war ), Russian armed forces have used an armed version of the Forpost-R to destroy a multiple launch rocket system of the Ukrainian army from an altitude of 3,000 m using guided missiles.^[source]IAI Searcher · Forpost-R; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage In March 2025, an export version of the Forpost-R, known as Forpost-RE, was unveiled at the IDEX 2025 military booth in Dubai . On April 20, 2025, Ukraine claimed to intercept and shot down a Russian "Forpost" at an altitude of 4 km for the first time using an interceptor drone.^[source]IAI Searcher · Forpost-R; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Source measurement

—

The Searcher looks almost identical to the Scout and Pioneer , but is in fact scaled up and is well over twice the size of the Scout. The Searcher is powered by a 35 kW (47 hp ) piston engine. The new design features updated avionics and sensor systems with greater flight endurance as well as increased redundancy for improved survivability. In addition to Israel, the system had been exported and is or was in use by Singapore and Turkey , as well as Thailand , Russia , India , South Korea , and Sri Lanka .^[source]IAI Searcher · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

10 June 2002 – Searcher Mark-II, operated by Indian Air Force for reconnaissance, was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force F-16B using AIM-9L Sidewinder at an altitude of 13,000 ft, after it was spotted by the mobile observation units.^[source]IAI Searcher · Crashes; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

11 July 2018 – A Russian "Forpost" UAV was found on 12 July in a field close to the village of Barqah, about 12 kilometres from the Israeli side of the Golan Heights (Syria) but none of the belligerents claimed the shot-down nor the loss.^[source]IAI Searcher · Crashes; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

18 March 2024 – a Searcher Mk-II drone of the Indian Navy crashed while landing after a routine training sortie at INS Garuda. The UAV touched the ground about one mile short of the runway at 5 pm IST . No injuries or damage to property has been reported. A team was immediately dispatched to render the UAV safe.^[source]IAI Searcher · Crashes; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Capacity: 68 kg (150 lb) payload^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Length: 5.85 m (19 ft 2 in)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Wingspan: 8.55 m (28 ft 0 in)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Height: 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Gross weight: 450 kg (992 lb)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Payload: 120 kg (260 lb)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Powerplant: 1 × Limbach L 550 , 35 kW (47 hp)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Propellers: Born Propeller 120cm 3 blade adjustable pitch^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Maximum speed: 201 km/h (125 mph, 110 kn)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Range: 350 km (220 mi, 190 nmi)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Endurance: 20 hours^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Service ceiling: 6,100 m (21,000 ft)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Loiter speed: 110 to 150 km/h; 69 to 92 mph (60 to 80 kn)^[source]IAI Searcher · Specifications / Searcher II MK3; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

According to a YouTube video and information published by the Russian Ministry of Defense on March 13, 2022 (three weeks after the start of Russo-Ukrainian war ), Russian armed forces have used an armed version of the Forpost-R to destroy a multiple launch rocket system of the Ukrainian army from an altitude of 3,000 m using guided missiles.^[source]IAI Searcher · Forpost-R; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

In March 2025, an export version of the Forpost-R, known as Forpost-RE, was unveiled at the IDEX 2025 military booth in Dubai . On April 20, 2025, Ukraine claimed to intercept and shot down a Russian "Forpost" at an altitude of 4 km for the first time using an interceptor drone.^[source]IAI Searcher · Forpost-R; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Reported operators	Reported operator · China Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Ethiopia Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Kazakhstan Reported operator · Morocco Reported operator · Nigeria Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Saudi Arabia Reported operator · Serbia Reported operator · United Arab Emirates Reported operator · Uzbekistan	Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Azerbaijan Reported operator · Canada Reported operator · Cyprus Reported operator · Ecuador Reported operator · India Reported operator · Israel Reported operator · Republic of Korea Reported operator · Russia Reported operator · Spain Reported operator · Sri Lanka Reported operator · Syria Reported operator · Thailand