Secret files from the Pentagon publicised on the 19th of April have revealed that the
People’s Liberation Army has "almost certainly" operationalised the world’s first hypersonic
military drone, the WZ-8. The drone has been deployed in western Anhui province under the
PLA Eastern Theatre Command positioning them to respond to contingencies in the PLA’s two
leading potential hotspots, which are Taiwan and the Korean peninsula. The drones’ location allows
them to be deployed for penetration flights into Taiwan or Korea, although it remains
uncertain whether they are capable of longer-range missions, or whether longer range capability is
being developed. The WZ-8 is a unique asset found nowhere else in the world for now, and supplements
the massive and fast-growing intelligence gathering capacity of China’s satellite network.
Hypersonic technologies are increasingly central to discussions of military primacy. China and
Russia have since deployed hypersonic weapons of their own, while the United States has accelerated
its development efforts. More complex than single-use hypersonic missiles and glide vehicles,
however, is the development of aircraft capable of flying at hypersonic speeds,
for either combat or reconnaissance roles. The technological requirements for an aircraft
exceeding Mach 5 are considerably higher than for missiles. For starters, you need to accommodate
a human inside the plane, and getting him or her home safely. China emerged in 2019 as the
first country in the world to field a hypersonic military aircraft. The unveiling of the unmanned
WZ-8 reconnaissance drone on October the 1st of that year marked the country's 70th anniversary.
Although its exact specifications remain unknown, the WZ-8 is intended to fly at extreme speeds and
altitudes with the reported intention of providing both general intelligence and
targeting data. While surveillance satellites have predictable courses allowing them to be evaded,
and could very well be primary targets in the event of open hostilities between major powers,
reconnaissance aircraft in their airfields are much more difficult to locate, can be hidden
in underground hangers, and can fly along any trajectory towards any target unexpectedly.
Fielding the WZ-8 thus provides a much more robust surveillance capability for the Chinese PLA force
than rival militaries have. Multiple sources indicated that the WZ-8 can loiter and fly at
maximum speeds between Mach 6 and Mach 7. The current Western long-range air-to-air missiles,
such as the AIM-120 and the Meteor, fly at a speed below Mach 5, meaning they would
struggle to pose a real threat to the WZ-8. The WZ-8 has potentially significant naval
applications. Their most likely role may well be the provision of targeting data,
particularly on enemy warships, which due to their mobility are more challenging targets
for long-range missiles than fixed bases and installations. This allows the aircraft to play
a vital role in facilitating strikes by long-range anti-ship missiles, such as the ground-based
DF-21D and the DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles, ship launched YJ-18 cruise missiles,
and the YJ-12 missiles deployed by the PLA Navy’s H-6 bombers. So, the drone can very well
be utilised in support of China’s anti-access and area-denial capabilities in the Western Pacific,
which are designed to deter large US Navy assets from entering the theatre, like aircraft carriers.
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According to US intel, the WZ-8 is incapable of taking off using its own power, and will need
to be launched by a H-6M naval bomber, which acts as a mothership. The H-6 mothership will
be based alongside the WZ-8, and will carry the drone underneath the fuselage using its
centreline hardpoint. The type of engine on the WZ-8 remains unknown, but US intel believe
the external features are associated with rocket power. It remains unknown how the WZ-8 is supposed
to return home after being deployed. I assume the drone is not a single-use or disposable asset,
given how big it is and the amount of expensive equipment carried onboard, but I could be wrong.
Reportedly, the WZ-8 will fly at 10,000 feet, or around 30,000 metres. A drone
able to sustain flight at a high altitude and speed would allow it to fill the need
for intelligence in a combat environment where satellite support is unsustainable.
The drone’s sensor suite includes electro-optical imaging and synthetic aperture radar, which allows
high resolution detection, regardless of flight altitude and regardless of the weather. They’re
perfect for such a high-flying recon drone. US intelligence expect the WZ-8 to be based
in central China, somewhat close to the coast, but inland from the coast. From that position,
the hypersonic drone can take advantage of its high speed, and quickly travel to where they are
needed the most. This is in case of hostilities by the way, not peacetime usage necessarily.
The Pentagon map shows the WZ-8 travelling from central China to conduct recon missions either
in Taiwan, or the Korean peninsula, or the Yellow Sea and the South China Sea. Judging
by the distances involved, the WZ-8 can also reach the US base on Okinawa as well. The possibility
and the flexibility provided by the positioning of a super-fast recon asset in the centre is endless.
The Chinese head start in the important field of hypersonic aircraft reflects a
growing trend of the country surpassing both Russian and Western technologies in many areas.
The operation of the WZ-8 will provide the PLA Air Force and the Navy with flight data
and operational experience that could benefit the development of future designs, including
potentially hypersonic combat manned aircraft. If you want to learn more about the H-6 naval
bomber, the aircraft acting as the mothership for the WZ-8, please watch this video right here.