During the day on March 17, Taiwan’s Armed Forces were once again focused on monitoring and surveilling the aerial and surface activities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) operating around the island. However, various officially released photographs provided a glimpse of the deployment of some of the most advanced Chinese military drones in service. The images were captured through the electro-optical systems onboard Taiwan’s Air Force F-16V Block 70 fighters and the Navy’s P-3C Orion patrol aircraft.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense on March 17, a total of “…59 incursions by Chinese military aircraft (43 of which crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait into the airspace of the north, center, southwest, and east) and 9 Chinese warships” were recorded. The statement added: “The (Taiwanese) Armed Forces deployed aircraft, ships, and land-based missile systems to conduct close monitoring and response.”
Regarding Taiwan’s deployed assets, they included F-16V fighter jets, which were locally upgraded to Block 70 with U.S. assistance, as well as P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. These were complemented by surface vessels such as Kee Lung-class (Kidd-class) destroyers and Cheng Kung-class (Oliver Hazard Perry-class) frigates.
Specifically, the presence of these aerial assets allowed for new images to be captured of some of the most modern drones used by the PLA for reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence missions—namely, the WZ-10 and the Wing Loong II. Both were developed and manufactured by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, one of the most prominent companies in China’s military-industrial and aerospace complex.
First, the WZ-10, detected by the electro-optical sensor systems of the P-3C Orion, is a HALE (High-Altitude, Long-Endurance) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions over extended periods and at high altitudes. Although its introduction into PLA service dates back to 2016, like many other Chinese drones, there is little audiovisual material of it operating outside of static displays and exhibitions in China.
This aircraft, in addition to being used for flights and incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ, has also been deployed for monitoring other locations. This was evident last year when Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force F-15J fighters intercepted one of these drones flying over international airspace near Japan’s southwestern islands.
Meanwhile, the drone captured by the F-16V fighter was the Wing Loong II, another modern UAV employed by the PLA in its successive flights and incursions. Unlike the WZ-10, this is a MALE (Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance) UAV, also used for ISR missions.
It is also worth noting that although UAVs are primarily used for ISR missions, they can also serve as platforms for launching various types of air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-to-ground weaponry. This highlights the dual-use potential that China assigns to its new combat drones.
Cover photo used for illustration purposes: Taiwan Navy P-3C Orion.
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