This foxnews article draws similarities to my last post that mentions recent signs of increased Chinese aggression at home and abroad. The author notes how the Chinese military is developing its unmanned aerial forces using a new Predator style drone and other combat aircraft. US intelligence officials stated that the program serves as a response to growing tensions between China and its neighbors.
One of the regions where the drones have been deployed is the South China Sea where a Vietnamese fishing boat was allegedly shot at and chased by the Chinese on March 20th. In addition to China, Japan is developing its own drone capabilities to counter the Chinese efforts and the growing tensions between the two countries over the Senkakus islands.
Do drones really add value in this region? I suspect that standard military radar does the job just as well, or better. My interpretation is that this is an exercise in bragging rights of a military trying to pry money from Beijing – hey, we can build drones too, give us more money – rather than anything practical or strategically relevant.
Beware of using Fox News. Even when they get the “facts” correct they aren’t about to ask probing questions. Claims of growing numbers of Chinese drones is very convenient for the US military-industrial complex, too.