China uses drones to dispute islands

The Sankei newspaper on October 21 quoted a report by Lignet saying that the Chinese military is implementing a strategy of using drones to claim sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu by China).

Lignet is a private research organization run by experts from the US Central Intelligence Agency.

S-100 drone.Photo: militaryfactory

According to this report, China will send drones from naval ships to penetrate the airspace above the Senkaku Islands and conduct reconnaissance with the intention of weakening Japan's control.

Lignet drafted a report titled “China Strengthens Sovereignty Over Disputed Islands with Surveillance Drones,” which pointed out that the Chinese navy has recently increased its use of drones, with plans in the future to regularly deploy drones in the Senkaku Islands.

According to the report, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is actively researching, developing and using drones. In addition to purchasing 18 S-100 drones from the Australian company Schiebell, China has also developed and deployed many types of drones on its own.

In June 2011, when the Chinese fleet was operating in the waters near the Senkaku Islands, a helicopter-type drone took off from a destroyer and flew in the airspace near the Senkaku Islands. This was not an S-100 drone, but was believed to be a Chinese-made aircraft.

According to Vietnam+M