China deploys WZ-7 Soaring Dragon drone in South China Sea drills

Beijing has deployed its advanced high-altitude WZ-7 Soaring Dragon reconnaissance drone for the first time during exercises in the South China Sea.

This marks the first official confirmation that the WZ-7, also known as the Soaring Dragon, has been used in a real operational environment, according to the South China Morning Post. The long-range drone operated alongside various types of fighter jets that took off from several airfields.

The WZ-7 has become the second drone in the world “capable of freely crossing civilian air routes” at altitudes ranging from 8,000 to 12,000 meters, which are inaccessible to most unmanned aerial vehicles. As a result, the Chinese WZ-7 is expected to compete with the US RQ-4 Global Hawk.

The aircraft has a cruising altitude of more than 18,000 meters, an operational range of over 4,500 kilometres, and can remain airborne for more than 6.5 hours.

Former People’s Liberation Army Air Force officer Fu Qianshao noted that, thanks to its long endurance and high speed, the WZ-7 does not need to be stationed at bases in the South China Sea. Instead, it can take off from ground airfields along China’s coast and conduct real-time reconnaissance over a designated area for extended periods.

By Jeyhun Aghazada