China deploys stealth drones in the South China Sea

China is set to deploy stealth drones for surveillance and mapping in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

A Chinese destroyer (left) and a Russian ship participate in a joint exercise in the South China Sea off Guangdong province on September 16. Photo: Xinhua

According to Sputnik, two unmanned aerial systems (UAS), the ZC-5B and ZC-10, manufactured by China, will survey the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea with Japan, along with large areas in the South China Sea, where China has overlapping sovereignty claims with many countries.

People's Daily quoted Mr. Li Yingcheng, general director of TopRS technology company, as saying that China needs accurate geological information about coral reefs and islands in the two sea areas to serve the purpose of marking territorial sea boundaries and ensuring the country's maritime interests and security.

According to Mr. Li, the above aircraft are equipped with the Beidou navigation system and can fully cover territories up to 80 nautical miles. Of which, the ZC-5B is specially designed to map and survey offshore coral reefs, has an operating range of 1,400 km and can work up to 30 hours.

Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. Photo: Sputnik

In July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled that China has no historical rights to the "nine-dash line" that it drew to assert sovereignty over the East Sea. However, Beijing immediately objected to this ruling and declared that it would not implement it.

At Senkaku/Diaoyu, the dispute between China and Japan is also increasingly tense as both sides frequently accuse each other of strengthening forces there and sending ships to violate territorial waters.

According to VNE