China is developing its own drone technology -- for its own military and for sale around the world.
Unmanned systems have become the legal and ethical problem child of the global defense industry and the governments they supply, rewriting the rules of military engagement in ways that many find disturbing. And this sense of unease about where we’re headed is hardly unfamiliar. Much like the emergence of drone technology, the rise of China and its reshaping of the geopolitical landscape has stirred up a sometimes understandable, sometimes irrational, fear of the unknown.
It’s safe to say, then, that Chinese drones conjure up a particularly intense sense of alarm that the media has begun to embrace as a license to panic. China is indeed developing a range of unmanned aerial vehicles/systems (UAVs/UASs) at a time when relations with Japan are tense, and when those with the U.S. are delicate. But that hardly justifies claims that “drones have taken center stage in an escalating arms race between China and Japan,” or that the “China drone threat highlights [a] new global arms race,” as some observers would have it. This hyperbole was perhaps fed by a 2012 U.S. Department of Defense report which described China’s development of UAVs as "alarming."
That’s quite unreasonable. All of the world’s advanced militaries are adopting drones, not just the PLA. That isn’t an arms race, or a reason to fear China, it’s just the direction in which defense technology is naturally progressing. Secondly, while China may be demonstrating impressive advances, Israel and the U.S. retain a substantial lead in the UAV field, with China—alongside Europe, India and Russia— still in the second tier. And thirdly, China is modernizing in all areas of military technology – unmanned systems being no exception.
New unmanned missions
Nonetheless, China has started to show its hand in terms of the roles that it expects its growing fleet of UAVs to fulfill. In a clear indication that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has an operational armed UAV capability in which it feels relatively confident, last week reports of a plan to send a UAV into Myanmar to assassinate a drug trafficker who had murdered 13 Chinese nationals came to light. The Chinese government ultimately rejected this tactic, but it is evidently tempted to follow Washington’s lead in reserving the right to use UAVs to target enemies of the state, even on foreign soil.
Territorial disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea have also persuaded Beijing to accelerate its deployment of UAVs, which are ideally suited to maritime surveillance missions. UAVs are already used routinely to monitor the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, a PLA general recently claimed. “[Both China and Japan] seem intent on establishing more presence in these disputed zones,” comments Peter Singer, Director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution,“both to establish their own claims … and to watch what the other is doing. UAS are helpful in those aims, especially with their longer duration versus traditional manned platforms.” The PLA Air Force has also converted its obsolete J-6 fighters into UAVs; based in Fujian, the J-6s are apparently being used for Diaoyu surveillance, as well as being expendable strike assets in the event of an armed engagement.
Nor is China’s deployment of UAVs limited to the military realm. The government of Liaoning Province is reportedly using UAVs to monitor the North Korean border, and is also said to be establishing two coastal UAV bases from which it will oversee its areas of jurisdiction in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Gulf. Meanwhile, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) – one of China’s main maritime agencies – announced in August that it is setting up 11 UAV bases, one in each of China’s coastal provinces. It expects to have these bases up and running by 2015 (images of some of the SOA’s current UAVs can be seen here). It’s also worth recalling that all of China’s UAV advances have been enabled by the Beidou satellite constellation, which now includes 16 active satellites providing coverage across China and the Asia-Pacific.
Photo Credit: Ministry of National Defense: People's Republic of China
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David
I agree, the CIA trolls are everywhere, but the worst part is, they think that if they lie more than once, people will believe or let themselves be manipulated by them.
No one trust the US BS any more, your hegemony is over, and it really didn't last that long. The old world and old civilisations are taking over once again, regaining their righteous place in the course of history – by peace – unlike the war mongering west, who's allies are shrinking in numbers rapidly.
Soon there will only be US and Israel against the rest. Good luck.
Lauren Garza
At least we know that China will not be weighed down with those concerns about using drone strikes on their own citizens inside China.
Schminner
How come when I make a non pro-U.S. or non pro-Israel comments it does not get posted?
Talha Zaheer
Welcome to the world of Zionists :)
MuhamadPig
Your comment disproves your logic.
Kim’s Uncle
It’s funny how scared the Chinese are with the Japanese even though Japanese today are civilized and democratic but the ghost of imperial Japan still haunts the fragile psyche of the Chinese.
Instead of moving on and let go of the past the superstitious Chinese still live in the past!
Kanes
Drones coupled with lack of democratic concerns equal a deadly mixure. It took decades for China to copy the nuclear lead, decades to copy fighter jets and stealth jets but lesser time to copy drone technology. Low cost, mass production, enhancements in electronics and total lack of democratic concerns translate to China winning the drone war.
Pepe
"Drones coupled with lack of democratic concerns equal a deadly mixure.", JA JA JA JA, i dont know if you like under a rock, but the totally democratic USA have bombed and killed more than 2000 civilians in Pakistan so you coment is irrelevant.
applesauce
sometimes im glad thediplomat allows nearly anyone to post comments, other times im sad because you get to see just how dumb a lot of the commentors are.
thats said, the author makes a good point, everyone is making drones there nothign special about china making them as well, the only thing we may worry about is proliferation, even then im doubtful that third world armies can effectivly use these drones.
Nakahiro
Creating drones is one thing but using it, training the "pilots" is another. Its made in China. I think it will fall apart in pieces before it lifts off!
John Chan
@Nakahiro,
“it will fall apart in pieces before it lifts off!” is called 东洋货 or Made in Japan in the old days.
aaa
but in the new age: made in China
Schminner
Once these Chinese-made drones are in mass production, I'm sure they'll be so affordable that every household can own one.
Kenji Masako
For sure, China can easily outproduce the US in just a few years, and the Game is over. Washington's global colonial rule is over.
Nakahiro
@Kenji
Outproduce that is for sure but on outproducing bad quality I must say. Let me tell you something! Lets take Great Wall Motors for example. The Chinese (not limited to just outside of China) especially the rich and those who live in Western countries who have assimilated well to Western way of life won't even touch that make, they don't trust it and normally buy something else. what makes you think anyone let alone the Chinese buy their own drones if that would one day be possible? WIth all that said this is the reason why the copy, steal and make poor copies.. The thought process to kick start a new innovation on aesthetics, function etc is out the window. Its the reason they'd rather steal and copy to cut costs and time. Its all about the quick sale and with quick sales it comes sacrifices in development time and cost which in most cases = bad quality product in the long run. FACT!
Nakahiro
One more thing to add. In order for them to compete it must be sold cheaper so of course the quality has to be sacrificed.
Choi Inn-wu
You American CIA trolls are just like the proverbial wolf – When you can't get the grapes, you say it is probably sour. Sore losers thats what you are. When the US develops drones or any other killing machine or bombs, it is perfectly ok. When other countries does it, it is "alarming" and "dangerous". The US political and governmental machine is such a hypocrite and a sore loser.
Hey Mr Barrack Caesar, when are you going to rein in your hate machines called the internet trolls whom you have funded to spready filthy lies and racism all over the planet? If no action from you, I think you should return the Nobel Peace Prize. You are the most underserving awardee I have ever come across!