US military using private spy planes to keep tabs on China, think tank says
- Move will help boost its operational capabilities in the region and may reduce tensions, according to South China Sea Probing Initiative
- It says three such aircraft carried out patrols in the East China, Yellow and South China seas from March to August
Privately operated reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft have been sent to Asia to help the US keep watch on Chinese activities close to its maritime territory, according to a Beijing-based think tank.
The South China Sea Probing Initiative said using the spy planes would help boost the US military’s operational capabilities in the region.
In a report published on Wednesday, the think tank said three such surveillance aircraft had been sent to Okinawa in Japan and Manila in the Philippines since March.
A Tenax Aerospace CL-604 landed at the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa on March 30, and patrolled around the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea on April 7, the report said.
It was then sent on a mission over the South China Sea on July 16, with a stop at the Clark Air Base in the Philippines for refuelling.
