China unveiled advanced stealth drones at a Tuesday airshow that can fly for nearly 24 hours uninterrupted.
Leading Chinese aerospace company CH UAV debuted the CH-817 attack drone and CH-6 high speed stealth drone at a show in the city of Zhuhai.
The stealth drone can reach speeds of up to 435 miles per hour and fly for 20 hours uninterrupted, giving it the capability to carry out advanced military operations including anti-submarine attacks. The attack drone, a much smaller device, can fly for up to 15 minutes and be carried by individual soldiers. Shi Wen, the chief engineer for the drones, described the attack drone as a "flying grenade."
Chinese drone buildup is an area of growing concern for defense planners, who say China could use a massive drone "swarm" to take out U.S. or Taiwanese naval and air defenses. War games conducted by American military strategists show allied forces losing the upper hand on China. The exercises indicated that American victory could be secured through a fleet of U.S. drones.
Exports of Chinese drones could also pose a national security threat to the United States. Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.) sent a letter to the Department of Justice demanding answers in relation to the Secret Service’s drone program and its purchase of Chinese drones blacklisted by the Pentagon.