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 Communist Party military is seeking to buy two suicide attack drones.
The report cites the U.S. Navy as saying that two MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance aircraft have been temporarily transferred from Guam to Misawa, a base in northern Japan. This is the first time a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been deployed 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, were on a mission 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 Defense Ministry 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.
The Chinese Communist 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.
The National Interest also says that “Chinese roving munitions” could be found outside of China. U.S. soldiers could face Chinese-made suicide drones in hot spots such as Africa and the Middle East.
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