ANALYSIS – As part of its continuing intimidation and harassment of the independent island nation, Communist China has just flown one of its TB-001 ‘Scorpion’ medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drones around Taiwan.
While the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been increasing its military pressure and belligerent actions toward Taiwan recently, this is the first time one of these large, potentially armed drones has been reported circling the entire island.
Chinese ‘Twin-Tailed Scorpion’ drone detected off east coast of Taiwan https://t.co/m8swfJe3Cb pic.twitter.com/cs43EsOQIuJuly 26, 2022
Another drone, a single-engine BZK-005, also flew halfway around Taiwan on a similar course but turned back before reaching the median line that serves as a de facto boundary between the two countries.
Long-range Chinese drones generally conduct over-ocean intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) along the first island chain of Pacific archipelagos that extends from the East Asian mainland.
But it seems they are now being operated around Taiwan.
The Taiwanese defense ministry reported the TB-001 and BZK-005 as “recce” (reconnaissance) drones, but the Scorpion was designed to be an armed drone.
And as described later in this piece, it can be very well armed.
With its mix of surveillance and strike capabilities, the Scorpion could potentially identify targets on the eastern side of the island and launch strikes directly against them.
Still, in this case, it was likely conducting detailed surveillance for military targeting, especially on the less defended eastern side of the island, indicating China is increasing its preparations to attack or blockade the country.
The two drones were part of a group of 38 PLA aircraft that Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense says it detected around Taiwan.
38 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities. pic.twitter.com/SiSwSWls4jApril 28, 2023
Nineteen other aircraft were reported to have crossed the median line and/or entered Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). These were five Su-30 and two J-16 Flanker fighter jets, eight J-10 fighter jets, a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft and another reconnaissance Y-8 variant.
The Scorpion drone is a twin-engine, twin turboprop (one on either side of its fuselage under its straight, high-mounted main wing) with twin tail booms to the rear.
Taiwanese defense sources did not confirm if this TB-001 was carrying weapons, but even if just used for ISR, the drone is highly capable, notes The Drive:
The TB-001’s multi-intelligence gathering capabilities include a radar in the nose, various external pods, likely including ones with electronic intelligence payloads, and various antennas scattered around the airframe. The TB-001 is also capable of full beyond-line-of-sight operations.
The Drive continues:
…the TB-001 provides China with an efficient ability to collect multiple types of intelligence over and around the highly strategic strait. Its range — around 1,860 miles — and reported 35-hour endurance also allow it to venture around Taiwan, which means it can also conduct radar mapping and classification of electronic emissions from air defense systems and other Taiwanese military assets on the east coast of the island.
If armed, this drone can also provide quite the strike package.
The Drive explains:
Among the weapons associated with the TB-001 in the past are the FT-7 glide bomb, FT-8D guided missile, and the FT-9 and FT-10 guided bombs. At the Zhuhai Airshow in 2018, the drone was shown alongside the C-701/K anti-ship missile and the CM-502 air-to-surface missile. Chinese media reports suggest that the TB-001 can be equipped with the 40-pound AR-2 and 160-pound AR-4 air-to-surface-missile, as well as the 200-pound AR-3 cruise missile.
While the appearance of this drone around Taiwan may not seem significant at first, it could indicate that the PLA is taking its job of identifying targets on the island seriously and plans to also use these unmanned aircraft to take them out.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.