During the week, Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported sightings of various unmanned aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) over the Western Pacific Ocean. According to the information released, the drone flew from the East China Sea to the Western Pacific, south of Okinawa Island, before returning the same way, as reported Tuesday night by the Joint Staff of the Japanese Ministry of Defense in a press release.
In this regard, the identified aircraft belongs to the family of Chinese combat drones known as the Tengden TB-001 of the PLA. It has the characteristic of being a long-endurance, medium-altitude aerial vehicle developed locally, capable of carrying out reconnaissance, surveillance, and attack missions. Its second version, the TB-001A, was improved with an additional engine in the tail, and the maximum takeoff weight was increased to 2,800 kg, its payload increased from 1,200 kg to 1,500 kg, and the flight ceiling from 8,000 meters to 9,500 meters.
Days earlier, Japanese forces had also detected the presence of a WL-10 reconnaissance and combat drone over the East China Sea, marking the first time this version has been sighted near the island. Consequently, Japan dispatched F-15 fighter jets from the Air Self-Defense Force to intercept the drone within Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, but not in its airspace.
China argues that the drones did not enter the airspace of another country and that they were only conducting training exercises as part of training and patrol missions.
However, this Chinese deployment coincides with the presence of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea and the Western Pacific waters, outside the Miyako Strait, at the end of May. An event that analysts also believe was the reason for the deployment of Chinese drones.
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