China’s military gives a look at its first dedicated drone squadron
- State media broadcasts interviews and vision of the ex-fighter pilots guiding the PLA Air Force’s UAVs
- CCTV report includes footage of GJ-2 drones in action over snowy mountains and other terrain
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The report included footage of the air force’s GJ-2 (Attack-2) drones scanning terrain in a range of environments – including snowy mountain ranges – as well as locking on to a target drone and firing at a moving vehicle on the ground.
“They are now flying across the plateau, the sea and the jungle, inventing tactics in a complex environment and showing off their skills in the unmanned battlefield of ‘information warfare’,” the report said.
It is the first time state media has broadcast details of a military drone unit, with the technology increasingly seen as a key component in modern combat.
“In only several months, they managed to master live-fire missions and reach combat readiness in the same year of deployment.”
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The squadron is made up of experienced fighter pilots, who previously flew J-7, J-8 and J-16 jets. CCTV detailed some of the challenges involved in adjusting from cockpit to ground control.
In their new roles, the pilots have also written manuals, covering operating procedures, group training and maintenance of the equipment, according to the report.
“Next, we are aiming at becoming an elite unit in reconnaissance and combat and strive to be the vanguard of drones,” squadron commander Xie Yu told CCTV.
The broadcast also gave some operational details on the GJ-2, a large medium-altitude, endurance UAV with satellite and artificial intelligence capabilities.
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The report highlighted the drone’s ability to stay in the air for long periods – up to 32 hours – and send battlefield situation reports in real time.
The report said the GJ-2 could provide information support to all levels of command, adapt to various battlefields and targets, and “destroy on discovery” when needed.
The GJ-2’s artificial intelligence system – which assists operators, and can conduct coordinated missions with manned fighters, early warning planes, helicopters and other drones – was constantly optimised and upgraded, CCTV said.
Drones are playing a growing role in China’s military operations, from the Himalayan border areas to the depths of the seas off its eastern and southern coasts, as the PLA embeds the technology in nearly every area of operations.
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When the GJ-2 was introduced, the PLA described it as “an important weapon for border patrols and fighting terrorism”.
This may be behind the decision to station the air force’s first dedicated drone unit in the northwest, where preventing cross-border terrorism has been a priority.
Wing Loong-2 – the GJ-2’s export variant – has been sold to about 10 countries, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa, and reportedly played an active role in local conflicts such as the Libyan civil war.
