Singapore's official media also places great importance on the development of China's military strength, as it relates to the geopolitical balance in the Asia-Pacific region and is also relevant to Singapore's interests.
The article states that the news of a large, stealth unmanned bomber from China making its first flight has recently gone viral among military enthusiasts.
Videos that have flooded social media show a huge black shadow flying over the Malan base in Xinjiang, which foreign media refers to as GJ-X (Attack-X).
The US website "The War Zone" reported on October 19 that this was the first time the public had observed the test flight of this drone. A month earlier, GJ-X had been spotted near the Malan base by commercial satellites.
According to a report by Hong Kong's "Asia Times", if the GJ-X drone can be deployed from coastal bases such as Ledian and Fulu in Hainan Island, it would be able to monitor the South China Sea and cover Taiwan to the north, even extending to the vast Pacific region. It could monitor the US military and its allies while providing critical target location data.
The report further stated that, in addition to the Pacific, China may also deploy the GJ-X in the Himalayan region in the ongoing border disputes with India. However, it remains unclear whether the sensor suite on board this drone is intended for maritime or land operations.
The report concluded that the maiden flight of the GJ-X stealth drone not only marks an important milestone in China's unmanned aviation field but also highlights its active efforts to promote the deployment of autonomous long-range strike and reconnaissance systems, which are expected to reshape the strategic landscape in the Pacific.
It is also expected that GJ-X will increase the risks faced by the United States in the Pacific. Analyst Malcolm Davis from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute wrote an article analyzing that if GJ-X is deployed in conjunction with hypersonic weapons, air-launched cruise missiles, land-based cruise missiles, and sea-based cruise missiles, it would significantly enhance China's ability to threaten US and allied forward bases and naval forces.
Davis also pointed out that drones generally have lower procurement and operational costs. If GJ-X is ultimately confirmed as an unmanned combat aircraft, this could give China a significant numerical advantage in operations involving such aircraft.
Although GJ-X still needs more time before mass production, its recent maiden flight already highlights the accelerating pace of China's development of new drones. From the Attack-2 to the Attack-11, from the Rainbow-7 to the Attack-21 and finally to GJ-X, Chinese drones are moving from tactical to strategic levels. The growing emphasis of the military on the development of the drone warfare field is evident.
Although GJ-X is still in the testing phase, its "publicity" itself holds significance.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847273967718412/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.