a chinese drone capable of carrying heavy weapons It has flown over the vicinity of Taiwan this week in a new show of force by Beijing over the authorities of the island, which it considers a “rogue province.”
It was one of 38 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) drones that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or penetrated the air defense identification zone in just 24 hours, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense.
This is the TB-001 drone, known in the Chinese official press as “the two-tailed scorpion” by the way it covers the missiles under its wings. It is one of the most powerful drones in your arsenal.
The unmanned combat aircraft, identified last Thursday by the Taiwanese authorities, would have crossed the Bashi channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines, to later ascend through the east of the island, before returning to Chinese territory.
Chinese drones did not fly over Taiwan’s airspace, so there were no major reprisals beyond starting the development of its planes, ships and anti-missile systems to counteract the operation in Beijing, aimed at intimidating the authorities.
It is common for Chinese warplanes to cross the unofficial divide to raise alarm bells in Taipei. Once there, however, the itinerary of the devices does not have a defined pattern, in what is believed to be reconnaissance activities.
The Chinese air forces have carried out a series of missions in recent months that they call “island encirclement.” They have come to use the Xian H-6, a nuclear-capable bomber.
On this occasion, the People’s Liberation Army released the “two-tailed scorpion.” It’s not the first time he’s done it. He already used them in the last military maneuvers on the island after the meeting in Los Angeles between the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wenand the president of Congress, the Republican kevin mccarthy.
The Tengden TB-001 is one of the devices that best reflects the advances in military technology in Beijing. Produced by Chinese contractor Sichuan Tengden Science and Technology, the plane has a flight range of 6,000 kilometers and can remain in the air for about 35 hours, with a maximum load of 1,200 kg and surveillance sensors. It has the ability to carry bombs, air-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, and surface-to-air missiles.
It did not fly solo. In the last operation in Beijing, TB-001 was accompanied by fighters and reconnaissance aircraft. The Taiwan Ministry of Defense claimed to have detected, in addition, six ships of the People’s Liberation Army, but did not specify their location.
