US secret documents illegally posted online by Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, reveal China used (or could use) WZ-8 supersonic spy drones that could fly 3 times the speed of sound, WaPo reports, echoed by Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert in Business Insider.
The Washington Post first commented on the leaked secret documents, reportedly from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. One of them includes what seems to be plans from the Chinese Ministry of Defense to upgrade its intelligence/surveillance capabilities with supersonic and even hypersonic reconnaissance drones. Taiwan is a major focus: China is intensifying its actions to “target American warships around Taiwan and military bases in the region.”
Satellite imagery included in the documents, dated August 9, 2022, show two WZ-8 jet-propelled reconnaissance drones at an air base approximately 350 miles from Shanghai, the newspaper reported. These drone are capable of flying at altitudes of up to 15,000 meters, at three times the speed of sound, according to the documents — slightly slower than the SR-72 Blackbird, which Lockheed Martin claims reaches speeds of Mach 6, Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert writes. The WZ-8 drones could assist China in real-time mapping that would inform strategy or enable high-speed missile strikes in a future conflict, The Washington Post writes.
The WZ-8 drone, also known as the Sharp Sword, is reportedly being developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute for reconnaissance and combat operations. The drone has a sleek, aerodynamic design, and its body is made of composite materials to reduce its radar signature. It has a wingspan of about 14 meters and a length of about 11 meters. The WZ-8 is equipped with a range of sensors and weapons, including electro-optical and infrared cameras, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and a variety of guided missiles and bombs. Its advanced avionics system allows it to fly autonomously, navigate in complex environments, and perform complex mission tasks.