Leaked Reports Show China Is Working on a Supersonic Spy Drone
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China’s ability to spy on the United States and its allies may be growing with the development of a high-altitude supersonic drone.
Surveillance satellites have spotted two WZ-8 rocket-propelled reconnaissance drones at an air base in eastern China about 350 miles inland from Shanghai, according to the Washington Post. The new drones could allow the Chinese military to see American warships in advance of a future invasion of Taiwan.
A U.S. intelligence assessment found that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had “almost certainly” established its first unmanned aerial vehicle unit at the base, according to the Post. The newspaper got its information from classified files posted on the Discord messaging app. A Massachusetts Air National Guard member was recently arrested for allegedly leaking information on the app.
Drone Wars
China is apparently stepping up its surveillance game. The reconnaissance drone program comes after the recent revelations that China has a wide-ranging spy balloon program. A U.S. F-22 fighter jet shot down a Chinese spy balloon in February.
“We are aware that there have been four previous balloons that have gone over U.S. territory. This is what we assess is part of a larger Chinese surveillance balloon program,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a news conference after the shootdown. “You’ve heard us talk in the past about the fact that this is a program that’s been operated for several years.”
Tensions Mount Over Taiwan
The supersonic drones could play a role in any future conflict with Taiwan. According to the Post, the recently spotted drone base is part of the Eastern Theater Command, the branch of the Chinese military responsible for enforcing Chinese sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
Taiwan is also beefing up its drone arsenal. The country agreed last year to buy four MQ-9B SeaGuardians surveillance drones from the United States.
Recent events have increased tensions with China over the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty. China claims Taiwan is a breakaway province and has threatened to retake the island nation by force. A recent visit by Taiwan’s president with U.S. House speaker Kevin McCarthy prompted China to stage naval drills.
U.S. military officials are raising alarm bells over the situation with Taiwan. “It’s disturbing how ill-informed and naïve the average American is on China,” Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, the commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence, told a conference. “I chalk this up, if I could summarize, into a China blindness. We face a knowledge crisis and a China blindness problem.”
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