China’s ability to spy on america and its allies could also be growing with the event 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, in accordance with the Washington Post. The brand new drones could allow the Chinese military to see American warships upfront of a future invasion of Taiwan.
A U.S. intelligence assessment found that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had “almost actually” established its first unmanned aerial vehicle unit at the bottom, in accordance with 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 outwardly 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’re aware that there have been 4 previous balloons which have gone over U.S. territory. That is what we assess is a component of a bigger Chinese surveillance balloon program,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a news conference after the shootdown. “You’ve heard us talk previously in regards to the proven fact that this can be a program that’s been operated for several years.”
Tensions Mount Over Taiwan
The supersonic drones could play a job in any future conflict with Taiwan. In accordance with the Post, the recently spotted drone base is a component of the Eastern Theater Command, the branch of the Chinese military liable for enforcing Chinese sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
Taiwan can be beefing up its drone arsenal. The country agreed last 12 months to purchase 4 MQ-9B SeaGuardians surveillance drones from america.
Recent events have increased tensions with China over the problem 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 typical 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, right into a China blindness. We face a knowledge crisis and a China blindness problem.”