Unveiling Reconnaissance and Intelligence Operations

The People's Liberation Army recently released footage of its unmanned reconnaissance planes, highlighting collaboration between drone operators and intelligence officers in locating foreign warships. The documentary, "Forging Ahead," showed WZ-7 and WZ-10 drones taking off for training.

The WZ-7 and WZ-10, built by Aviation Industry Corp of China, are high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles. The footage showed the brigade receiving an order to search for a "hostile warship." The WZ-10 transmitted data for analysis, identifying a potential foreign ship. The WZ-7 was then deployed to investigate further.

The WZ-7 located suspicious objects and relayed coordinates. After closer reconnaissance, the intelligence officers confirmed the target. The ship's location was reported, and a CJ-10A cruise missile launch vehicle prepared for launch.

The documentary indicated frequent flights over the western Pacific Ocean for reconnaissance. The PLA rarely publishes such footage, especially of the WZ-7, a premier reconnaissance drone.

The WZ-7, formerly Xianglong, is uniquely designed, comparable to the US' RQ-4 Global Hawk. Its "joined tandem wing" design is distinctive. Equipped with advanced sensors, it provides imagery intelligence. Experts note its size and capabilities. The WZ-10, for electronic reconnaissance, complements the WZ-7.