China preparing supersonic spy drone unit to target US: Report
A leaked assessment of the United States (US) military has revealed that China is planning to deploy a supersonic high-altitude spy drone to greatly increase its capacity to conduct surveillance activities, The Washington Post reported. The Chinese military is developing the technology to target American warships around Taiwan and military stations in the region, according to a classified National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency document.
Why does this story matter?
The recent advancement claims come as China has increased its military aggression around Taiwan. Just last week, the Chinese military released a video depicting an attack on the island nation. According to US intelligence estimates, Chinese President Xi Jinping wants the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to be capable of capturing Taiwan by 2027. It was previously scheduled for 2035.
China established first UAV unit near Eastern Command: US military
The secret document, dated August 9, shows satellite imagery of two WZ-8 rocket-propelled reconnaissance drones at an eastern China air base. It claims the PLA had "almost certainly" established its first "cutting-edge" unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) unit near the Eastern Theater Command—the branch responsible for enforcing Beijing's sovereignty claims over Taiwan. The drones can reportedly gather real-time data or carry out missile strikes.
US Defense Department, China tightlipped over the leaked document
The confidential assessment documents were purportedly taken from a cache of photographs shared on Discord, a popular group chat service, by a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. However, neither the US Defense Department nor China's Ministry of National Defense issued an official statement. Other documents in the haul contain information regarding Chinese surveillance and military modernization, including Chinese spy balloons.
A little more about WZ-8 drones
The WZ-8 drones were unveiled by Beijing during the People's Republic of China's 70th-anniversary celebrations in December 2019. Per reports, the twin-engine H6-M Badger bomber is used to launch drones. The warplane can cruise just off China's east coast before releasing the stealthy drone, which could then fly into Taiwanese or South Korean territory at 100,000 feet and three times the speed of sound.
