Two Chinese military drones were seized by the Italian Provincial Command of Reggio Calabria of the Guardia di Finanza in collaboration with the Customs Office. The drones were found in containers, and disguised to look like wind turbine parts, Italian officials said. These were concealed within two cargo ships docked at the Port of Gioia Tauro in Italy.
The drone was confiscated due to Libya’s military embargo imposed by the United Nations (UN). Three containers were impounded on June 18 from the ship MSC Arina and that officials were expecting another three to arrive over the weekend on the MSC Apolline.
The Italian Guardia di Finanza is primarily tasked with combating financial crime and smuggling. Over time, it has become Italy’s leading agency in the fight against illegal drug trafficking. The organization operates a fleet of over 600 boats and ships, along with more than 100 aircraft, to patrol Italy’s territorial waters.
The drone components, coming from China and headed to Libya was placed lin six cargo containers. The drone components were identified by the scanner used by the Customs, after anomalies were found in the customs documents that accompanied them.
“The drone components were hidden among composite materials for wind turbine replicas to avoid detection by authorities,” stated customs and tax police officials in a press release. Also, two control stations were included in the shipment, which violated a UN embargo on arms shipments to Libya.
One of the drones seized by Italian authorities featured the slogan “The Energy Saving World” on its side. Sources cited by local media indicated that the military drones and components were headed to Benghazi to fulfill an order from General Khalifa Haftar, a warlord controlling eastern Libya.
The United States authorities tracked the cargo ship carrying the Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones and alerted Italian authorities, who subsequently seized the military equipment. The military embargo on Libya aims to prevent any arms shipments to the North African country since the fall of its former leader, Colonel Moammar Gaddafi, in 2011.
The Wing Loong II is an improved version of the Wing Loong 1 UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in the category of MALE (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance) designed and manufactured in China by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
Each drone seized measures 10 meters (33 feet) in length with a wingspan of about 20 meters. Weighing three tons, the drones can carry various sophisticated sensors and equipment, as well as multiple weapons, including anti-tank missiles.
The Wing Loong II UAV MALE is powered by a turbocharged engine, driving a three-bladed propeller, mounted at the rear section. It can fly during 20 hours and has a maximum speed of 370 km per hour. The Wing Loong II has an operational radius of 1,500 km and that it is equipped with a satellite communications system.
The MALE UAV has a maximum payload capacity of 400 kg. It is able of carrying up to 12 laser-guided bombs or missiles with a total weight of 480 kilogram’s. The electro-optical payload pod, fitted under the forward section of the fuselage, is integrated with day light and infrared cameras and sensors to collect surveillance and targeting data in both day and low-light / night conditions.
The Wing Loong II UAV MALE is developed primarily for the export market and is intended for surveillance and aerial reconnaissance missions. It can be fitted with a variety of weapons to perform combat and strike missions. The Wing Loong UAV is remotely controlled by one operator from the mobile ground control station using the consoles. The control station receives payload information from the UAV via a data communications link and sends back command and control, as well as mission planning data to the air vehicle.
Haftar’s faction, the Libyan National Army, already operates six Wing Loons, and 8 Wing Loong IIs, as well as Iranian Mohajer-series, and Russian Orlan-10 drones.
A UN report and a BBC investigation found that Wing Loong-2 drones were likely supplied by the United Arab Emirates, which has long been accused of backing Haftar.
In April, two Libyan men were charged in Canada with conspiring to sell Chinese-made drones to Libya in exchange for oil between 2018 and 2021.
Similarly, in November 2022, the European Union Naval Force’s Operation Irini has intercepted a cargo ship ferrying dozens of BATT UMG armoured vehicles to Libya in violation of United Nations sanctions.
The cargo ship carrying armoured vehicles to Libya was stopped on 11 October, the European Union Naval Force’s Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR Med) Operation ‘Irini’ announced on 9 November.
Meanwhile, the UN-recognized the Government of National Unity (GNU) is looking to procure Turkish Akinci and Bayraktar TB2 drones.