China deploys advanced WZ-7 drone for first time near Scarborough Shoal
Por Alcott Wei — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement China's military weapons China Military China deploys advanced WZ-7 drone for first time near Scarborough Shoal
The high-altitude reconnaissance platform took part in exercises around the disputed South China Sea flashpoint
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Alcott Wei in Beijing Published: 7:03pm, 28 Sep 2026 Updated: 7:16pm, 28 Sep 2026
Beijing deployed its advanced WZ-7 high-altitude reconnaissance drone in the South China Sea for the first time during drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Sunday.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command announced on Sunday that it had conducted joint air and naval exercises in the waters and airspace around the shoal earlier in the day.
In recent years, Scarborough Shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – has been a major flashpoint between the two countries, which both claim ownership of the coral atoll.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday that the WZ-7 long-range reconnaissance drone took part in the exercises and operated alongside various types of fighter aircraft taking off from multiple airfields.
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