China may soon deploy supersonic spy drone, US intel leaks may show: Report

China is rapidly improving its military technology. (Representative)

Washington, United States:

A leaked US military assessment says the Chinese military may soon deploy a high-altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound. The Washington Post reported Tuesday late

The newspaper cited a secret document from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

The document, which Reuters could not independently confirm or verify, contains satellite imagery from August 9 showing two WZ-8 rocket-propelled reconnaissance drones at an air base in eastern China, about 350 miles (560 km) inland from Shanghai. Is. Newspaper.

The US assessment said that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had “almost certainly” established its first unmanned aerial vehicle unit at the base, which is responsible for enforcing Chinese sovereignty claims over Taiwan. The branch of the army comes under the Eastern Theater Command. The newspaper reported.

The US Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Chinese government was not immediately available for comment.

The Washington Post said it obtained its assessment of the program from a set of images of classified files allegedly posted on the Discord messaging app by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who was arrested last week.

FBI arrested on Thursday Jack Douglas TeixeiraA 21-year-old member of the US Air National Guard, above Online leaks of classified documents embarrass Washington With partners around the world.

The leaks first became widely known earlier this month, after Washington became aware of the damage it was causing. The episode embarrassed the US by revealing its spying on allies and alleged Ukrainian military weaknesses.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s recent meeting with US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy angered Beijing. China, which claims democratically-ruled Taiwan a province, says Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in its relations with the United States. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s claims to sovereignty.

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