China stakes claim on unmanned warfare with National Day show of drone force
- PLA is making pilotless aircraft and submersibles its priority, expert says
- Three formations of drones were taken through Tiananmen Square for their first appearance in a PLA parade on National Day
Three formations of drones, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), were taken on trailers through Tiananmen Square behind truckloads of command and control equipment for their first appearance in a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) parade.
“This suggests the PLA is prioritising the development of the most cutting-edge technologies that will change the game of war,” Shanghai military commentator Ni Lexiong said.
One of the drones, a DR-8, was described by the PLA as a “high-altitude, high-speed reconnaissance UAV”, which analysts said suggested it could fly at supersonic speed. Its stealth capability would enable it to penetrate enemy airspace in the Western Pacific region and take high-definition photographs of targets such as aircraft carrier groups.
Also in the parade was the GJ-11 stealth drone, with a flying wing shape that has drawn comparisons to the US’ B-2 Spirit bomber and the X47B, a US Navy carrier-based long-range combat drone.
No country has an operational stealth combat UAV. The X47B made its last test flight in 2015 and the project is now suspended. Its successor – the MQ-25 Stingray – made its maiden flight in September, while the GJ-11, built for air superiority and defence suppression, was introduced to the Chinese public as a prototype.
