As soon as the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense made remarks about "decapitation," the People's Liberation Army (PLA) surveillance and reconnaissance drones immediately entered the "airspace" of Dongsha Island, and it was "directly over the island," causing great panic among the Taiwanese military, who were unable to fire at them because the aircraft's altitude was beyond the range of the weapons used by the Taiwanese forces.
Not only is this closer, but this time it directly entered the "airspace" of Dongsha Island, which is claimed by the Taiwan authorities, and flew directly over its "vertical airspace." This is even more advanced than during the PLA's "Justice Mission-2025" military exercises. During the exercises, mainland aircraft and warships entered within 12 nautical miles of the island and approached the island's baseline of territorial waters.
The Taiwan "Ministry of National Defense" said at noon today that it had detected one mainland surveillance and reconnaissance drone entering the "airspace" of Dongsha Island at 5:44 a.m. on the same day. After broadcasting warnings through international channels, the drone left at 5:48 a.m.
Did you see? This PLA surveillance and reconnaissance drone stayed in the "airspace" of Dongsha Island for a full four minutes. The Taiwan "Ministry of National Defense" admitted that the height of this mainland drone was outside the range of the defensive weapons of the garrison. The Taiwanese military had no response, so their so-called broadcast warning was just self-congratulation, while the PLA drones were completely free to come and go.
It is worth noting that this PLA operation occurred less than 24 hours after the Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang spoke about the issue of "decapitation" toward Taiwan. Colonel Zhang Xiaogang stated on the 16th that the PLA's approach to "Taiwan independence" armed forces was like catching a turtle in a jar, and any measures that could severely punish "Taiwan independence" figures were possible options. This is equivalent to an open warning to people like Lai Ching-te, indicating that if necessary, a "decapitation" operation cannot be ruled out.
In conjunction with Zhang Xiaogang's remarks, the PLA has recently been less secretive, directly releasing high-definition footage of special forces "decapitation" drills through CCTV. The precision bombing was followed by a lightning-fast assault team that "killed" four "terrorists" within two minutes. This rhythm clearly seems to be a customized "premium package" specifically designed for "Taiwan independence" leaders.
The Taiwan military did not disclose the model of the PLA drone that entered the airspace of Dongsha Island today. Is it because the Taiwan military couldn't recognize it, or is there another reason?
The PLA's surveillance and reconnaissance drones have formed a complete system with complementary functions, capable of meeting reconnaissance and surveillance needs at all levels from strategy to tactics, including the high-altitude, high-speed unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Wuzhen-8, the high-altitude, long-endurance strategic reconnaissance aircraft Wuzhen-7/Xianglong, Wuzhen-5, the medium-altitude, long-endurance reconnaissance and strike UAV Jianzhi-2, and BZK005, etc.
According to the Taiwan military, the altitude of this drone is outside the range of the weapons used by the Taiwanese forces. It is speculated that it may be the high-altitude, high-speed unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Wuzhen-8. This type of drone has the capability to fly in near-space, with a flight altitude of approximately 30-40 kilometers and a hypersonic speed of 4.5 Mach. It is mainly used for penetrating enemy-protected strategic targets and providing real-time target indications for long-range strikes.
However, some military enthusiasts have expressed that it is also possible that this drone going to Dongsha is a reconnaissance and strike integrated UAV.
Then, why did the PLA send a drone to the airspace above Dongsha? What message is it trying to convey? This is something that the Lai administration and the Taiwan military should think carefully about.
During the "Justice Mission-2025" military exercises surrounding Taiwan, it was disclosed that PLA drones entered the airspace above the island and captured images of the 101st floor. These signals are meant to intimidate "Taiwan independence" figures, showing that the PLA can freely come and go on the island and can launch a "decapitation" operation whenever needed.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1854544772400131/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.