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Satellite photographed the secret Chinese WZ-8 drone, which can reach speeds in excess of 3,700km/h and is designed to destroy F-35 and F-22 fighters
Defense News ^ | May 20, 2023 | Maksim Panasovskyi

Posted on 05/22/2023 3:18:18 AM PDT by tired&retired

Defense News reporters have obtained an image of China's secret supersonic WZ-8 drone. The drone is parked outside one of the new hangars at Lu'an Air Base in Anhui province.

Here's What We Know The People's Republic of China is actively upgrading the airbase where the People's Liberation Army bombers are stationed. As you can see, a hypersonic unmanned aerial vehicle capable of speeds of Mach 3 (more than 3,700km/h) is also located there.


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: china
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1 posted on 05/22/2023 3:18:18 AM PDT by tired&retired
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To: dfwgator

But you must speak in Mandarin Chinese


2 posted on 05/22/2023 3:20:27 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: tired&retired

What’s 10% of the technology that Hunter traded them for a weekend of Fang-Fang and coke?


3 posted on 05/22/2023 3:22:15 AM PDT by RoosterRedux (See my FR homepage for a link to the entire Bible narrated by David Suchet on youtube. FREE!)
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To: RoosterRedux

How long before the big guy wants to send F-35s to Ukraine for Russian in depth inspection?


4 posted on 05/22/2023 3:43:52 AM PDT by hardspunned (Former DC GOP globalist stooge)
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To: tired&retired
It may or may not be able to shoot down an F-22. "Everybody has a plan until..."

On the other hand, the neoconunists have been deluding themselves that the chicoms are hopelessly stupid people stuck in the Stone Age and therefore can never, ever catch up to us, let alone innovate. I am not at all convinced by their argument.

5 posted on 05/22/2023 3:48:54 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: Sirius Lee

I have heard no assessment of China that they are mired in the stone age and can’t catch up with us.
I have read they are poor at innovation and that’s why they steal from us.
The constant references to “neocons” as a negative are being used by our adversaries to demoralize the United States and discourage us from improving our defenses.
If you read about new advances by communist China, and your reaction is to give up, you are part of the problem.


6 posted on 05/22/2023 3:54:22 AM PDT by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
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To: Sirius Lee

Didn’t at one time, around the middle of 1941, most in USA thought the Japanese were small, wore thick glasses with buck teeth that could not fight, only to be kicked in the balls on December 7, 1941.

I agree with you, we have to assume the Chinese have technology to wage a war that won’t be like Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have no idea if this story is true, but it would be better to assume it is and plan for it versus dismissing only to be slapped with reality one day.


7 posted on 05/22/2023 3:59:15 AM PDT by srmanuel
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To: Williams
The constant references to “neocons” as a negative...

hurts your butt. It's negative because it is negative. Neoconunists are destroying America. They are filthy scum who undermine the Republic and our Constitution in their never ending quest for empire while our own nation collapses all around us.

8 posted on 05/22/2023 4:09:15 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: srmanuel

“I have no idea if this story is true, but it would be better to assume it is and plan for it versus dismissing only to be slapped with reality one day.”

The arms race is no longer bulky aircraft carriers, tanks, and fighter jets. An army of stealthy AI drones could devastate the current US military. The Russians learned what cheap, dumb drones could do to their tank battalions.

For the cost of one F35 you can produce 7,000 drones at 5,000 each. This is not unreasonable once your technology is designed and nailed down. So, for the cost of a hundred F35s you could have 700,000 drones. And drone swarm technology already exists, one person controlling hundreds of drones is possible. Add AI.


9 posted on 05/22/2023 4:13:35 AM PDT by BushCountry (A properly cast vote (1 day voting) can save you $3.00 a gallon.)
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To: tired&retired

Manned aircraft will soon be obsolete.

Too much weight, space, energy, etc. is required for a pilot, and the pilot limits the performance of the vehicle.


10 posted on 05/22/2023 4:14:59 AM PDT by FarCenter
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To: srmanuel

If the Chinese have managed to perfect an autonomous drone fighter jet, the US airforce is sunk.


11 posted on 05/22/2023 4:25:52 AM PDT by beef (The pendulum will not swing back. It will snap back. Hard.)
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To: tired&retired

Some military analysts say China is likely to reach military parity with the US in 5 years. That’s why the neocons want a war with them sooner rather than later.


12 posted on 05/22/2023 4:27:44 AM PDT by jimwatx
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To: BushCountry

That I agree with, hopefully we are not still fighting a WW II style war and instead building toward a Skynet Terminator type of war.

Obviously we are not at that level yet but I can see in my lifetime a Skynet Terminator type situation.

One can only imagine what drone technology will look like in 5-10 years, autonomous drone swarms would overwhelm any sort of air defenses that exist today, the possibilities are limitless.

However, every time there is a leap forward in technology on the battlefield, there will always be some type of countermeasures developed, the questions is what type of countermeasures will be developed to defend against and possibly defeat drone swarms.


13 posted on 05/22/2023 4:35:03 AM PDT by srmanuel
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To: BushCountry

“For the cost of one F35 you can produce 7,000 drones at 5,000 each. This is not unreasonable once your technology is designed and nailed down. So, for the cost of a hundred F35s you could have 700,000 drones. And drone swarm technology already exists, one person controlling hundreds of drones is possible. Add AI.”

Biden wants to give the contract to build them to China! And, get his cut!


14 posted on 05/22/2023 4:55:00 AM PDT by tired&retired (Blessings )
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To: Williams
The constant references to “neocons” as a negative are being used by our adversaries to demoralize the United States and discourage us from improving our defenses.

neocons have earned every bit of scorn that can be heaped onto you plus much more. Defense is not offense. If you stupid neoclowns ever figure that out, the world will be a better place.

15 posted on 05/22/2023 4:57:50 AM PDT by BlackbirdSST (Trump or Bust! Long live the Republic.)
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To: tired&retired

16 posted on 05/22/2023 5:29:40 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: Williams

China is a country where everything is made or built by the lowest bidder, using the cheapest materials, and can still pay the highest bribes.

“I have read they are poor at innovation and that’s why they steal from us.”

Until last year China was incapable of making the metal tips of a ballpoint pen.

“If you read about new advances by communist China, and your reaction is to give up, you are part of the problem.”

If you give up or read the word ‘neocon’, you have just swallowed a portion of the multi-billion dollar CCP propaganda campaign.


17 posted on 05/22/2023 5:38:29 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: tired&retired

Nice try, but China’s a backwards country, so it is NOT POSSIBLE for their weapons to be effective against US weapons. No different than Russian weapons. I’m not idiot!!!

(p.s., did they ever find all the pieces of those Patriot launchers that got minced up in Ukraine?)


18 posted on 05/22/2023 5:43:21 AM PDT by BobL
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To: tired&retired
I could see it damaging/taking out a carrier, but use against a single aircraft?

That's an awful big piece of equipment to waste doing only that.

Plus, it doesn't look like it'd be all that maneuverable in terminal phase, so a single plane could just juke out of its way. Now, if it zooms into the area with a low yield nuke, that'd be completely different...
19 posted on 05/22/2023 5:52:45 AM PDT by BikerJoe
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To: tired&retired

BS

That’s a recce drone, at best a high-speed missile carrier.

But no A2A drone.


20 posted on 05/22/2023 5:57:10 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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