China sends WZ-7 Soaring Dragon, the RQ-4 Global Hawk's analogue, to the islands of Japan for the first time

The Chinese military drone WZ-7 Soaring Dragon flew for the first time near the Japanese islands of Miyakojima and Okinawa. This is reported by the news agency Reuters, citing the Ministry of Defense of Japan.

Here's What We Know

According to the defense ministry of Japan, a Chinese drone was spotted off the coast of Japan on January 1 and 2, 2023. It flew toward the Pacific Ocean before turning around and heading west. Japanese airspace was not violated.

The WZ-7 Soaring Dragon is the counterpart to Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk drone. The drone is used for reconnaissance and missile guidance, but cannot carry weapons itself.

The Soaring Dragon is more than 14 meters long and has a wingspan of nearly 25 meters. The drone has a cruising speed of 750 km/h, a range of 2,000 km, and a range of 7,000 km. The WZ-7 can stay in the air for up to 10 hours at top speed and can climb to an altitude of 18 km.

Source: Reuters, Defense Brief