As military tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific region, some experts say U.S. unmanned surveillance aircraft will appear more frequently over the waters near China’s periphery, Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post reported Monday (May 17). Meanwhile there are reports that the Chinese military is looking to buy two suicide attack drones.
The report cites the U.S. Navy as saying that two MQ-4C Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft (MQ-4C Triton) have been temporarily transferred from Guam to Misawa base in northern Japan. This is the first deployment of a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to Japan.
The newspaper also reported that a Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, along with two P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft, an EP-3E electronic reconnaissance aircraft and a U.S. Air Force RC-135W electronic reconnaissance aircraft, flew missions over the South China Sea last Tuesday. They operated at the southern end of the Taiwan Strait and flew off the coast near the naval port of Shantou.
Japan’s Defense Ministry had previously said in a statement, “The U.S. Air Force Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft (Global Hawk) and the U.S. Navy Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft (Triton) are tasked to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) activities, and the aircraft will be temporarily deployed to Japan after mid-May.”
The Ministry of Defense believes that strengthening the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities of both countries is critical in the increasingly challenging security environment around Japan.
The statement added: “The deployment is intended to demonstrate the U.S. defense commitment to Japan and will benefit Japan’s security by strengthening maritime surveillance capabilities around Japan in light of the increasingly active maritime activities of neighboring countries.”
Military observers say the U.S. move reflects a growing trend toward greater use of drones for reconnaissance as the U.S. Navy seeks to increase its surveillance of China, the South China Morning Post said.
Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, an observation platform that tracks U.S. military movements in the South China Sea, said, according to the newspaper. “The purpose of such activities is no longer just to gather intelligence, but to exert political pressure and military coercion on China. Because of the apparently hostile intent of U.S. actions, China’s response is not primarily to assert legal claims or control over relevant sea and airspace, but rather out of security concerns.”
The report added that large unmanned aircraft equipped with advanced optical, electronic and radar sensors could replace manned EP-3E electronic reconnaissance aircraft for conventional missions, and they would be cheaper to dispatch and would be safer for pilots. But Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said that for more complex tasks such as anti-submarine warfare, which UAVs cannot manage, dispatching larger manned aircraft is necessary.
“To counter U.S. unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, China will have to use optical deception, electronic countermeasures, or even capture or intercept U.S. drones when they get too close.” On the other hand, he said, “the PLA has its own unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, and it works both ways.”
The Chinese military is believed to be seeking to acquire two “loitering munition” suicide drones. A military expert, who asked not to be named, told the Global Times, an official Communist Party media outlet, that suicide drones can provide a variety of tactics.
Experts say such aircraft can fly ahead to general areas, look for targets while waiting, and attack as soon as they find them. Missiles take time to launch and fly, which can lead to missed opportunities. Launching suicide drones earlier also means that enemies will have a harder time finding their launch sites. In addition, suicide drones are cheaper than armed reconnaissance drones.
Some Chinese drone manufacturers do have products that could potentially meet the PLA’s needs, The National Interest said.
The National Interest also says that “Chinese roving munitions” may be coming outside of China. Beijing may already be the world’s second-largest arms exporter, with planes, tanks and rifles all over the world. U.S. soldiers could face Chinese-made suicide drones in hot spots such as Africa and the Middle East.
Recent Comments