WJ-700

The WJ-700, also known as the CASIC WJ-700 or Haiying, is a Chinese jet-powered medium-/high-altitude long-endurance armed reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). It was designed by the 3rd Academy's HiWING (Haiying, "Sea Eagle") Mechanical and Electrical Technology Research Academy and is marketed for export by Beijing Haiying General Aviation Equipment. Turbofan propulsion distinguishes it from the propeller-driven CH-4, CH-5 and Wing Loong families, and it entered service with Algeria, its first export customer, in 2024.

Development

Work on the high-altitude, high-speed WJ-700 began around 2012 within the 31st department of CASIC's 3rd Institute. The configuration, including the 22 m wingspan, was frozen by 2016. CASIC displayed a full-size 1:1 mock-up at Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai in November 2018. Development was reportedly accelerated following an internal Chinese analytical report on the performance of the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Anka-S in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The first flight took place on 11 January 2021, ahead of the original 2023 target.

Design

The airframe uses a slender high-aspect-ratio wing and a V-tail, with a retractable tricycle undercarriage. Power comes from a single WP11 "Jiuzhai" turbofan fed by a dorsal air intake intended to reduce radar visibility, exhausting through a circular tail nozzle. Maximum take-off weight is about 3,500 kg, with some later reporting citing approximately 3.8 tonnes. Service ceiling is quoted at up to 15,000 m, though some sources cite 12,000 m, and maximum speed is around 700 km/h. Endurance is up to 20 hours at a 600 km/h cruise and roughly 26 hours at an economical cruise of about 400 km/h. Sensors include electro-optical/infrared turrets and synthetic-aperture radar, supplemented by electronic countermeasures.

Armament

The WJ-700 carries four to six underwing hardpoints with a payload capacity exceeding 800 kg, reported up to 840 kg. Munitions include the C-701 and C-705(KD) light anti-ship missiles, the CM-102 (also cited as SM-102) anti-radiation missile, the CM-502KG precision-guided air-to-surface missile, and glide bombs in the 50 kg and 100 kg classes. Intended targets are radar sites, command posts, armoured vehicles, troop concentrations and surface ships, alongside ISR, early warning and jamming tasks.

Operational History

Algeria was the first confirmed export customer, acquiring four aircraft from CASIC; the deal was disclosed in March 2024 by the Algerian open-source outlet ORCA Military, with the aircraft then in final acceptance testing. The Algerian Air Force displayed a WJ-700 during the military parade of 1 November 2024 marking the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Algerian Revolution. In December 2025, Defence Blog, Army Recognition and Military Watch Magazine reported that Egypt had signed a contract, concluded around June 2025, for ten WJ-700s at approximately $400 million, or roughly $40 million per unit; the purchase was reportedly preferred over a costlier proposed acquisition of J-10C fighters. Deliveries to Egypt had not been confirmed at the time of those reports.