China deploys advanced WZ-7 drone for first time near Scarborough Shoal
Beijing deployed its advanced WZ-7 high-altitude reconnaissance drone in the South China Sea for the first time during drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Sunday. The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command announced on Sunday that it had conducted joint air and naval exercises in the waters and airspace around the shoal earlier in the day. In recent years, Scarborough Shoal…
China has deployed its advanced WZ-7 high-altitude reconnaissance drone for the first time near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The People's Liberation Army's Southern Theatre Command announced joint air and naval exercises in the area, during which the WZ-7, also known as the Xianglong or "Soaring Dragon," operated alongside various types of fighter aircraft.
The drone's ability to loiter at high altitude for extended periods allows it to provide real-time battlefield situational awareness over large stretches of sea, according to a military analyst and former People's Liberation Army Air Force officer. The WZ-7's deployment marks the first official confirmation of the drone's use in real-time operations, and its specifications include a cruising altitude of over 18,000 meters and a mission range of over 4,500 kilometers.
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