China’s First Killer Drone?

Sharp Sword. Photo: via Secretprojects.co.uk

Is This China’s First Killer Drone? -- David Axe, Danger Room

A pair of grainy photos shot at long distance could be the best evidence yet of Beijing’s first jet-powered and presumably armed drone warplane.

The images, one of which was cropped and enhanced by Internet users and has been reproduced here, first appeared to the wider English-speaking world on Thursday afternoon on the Secretprojects.co.uk web forum.

The pics follow close behind the equally ambiguous photo debuts of China’s two stealth fighter prototypes (in 2010 and 2012) and its homegrown heavy transport plane (this year). A far blurrier and even more ambiguous photo possibly depicting the new drone appeared on a Russian Website in March.

“What’s Chinese for, ‘Here we go again?’” Aviation Week reporter Bill Sweetman quipped upon seeing the purported killer drone images.

Read more ....

Update #1: Lijian stealth drone prepares for test flight -- Want China Times
Update #2: Li Jian-Dark Sword: China's UFO-like Stealth Drone Debuts (Photo Gallery) -- CRI English

Previous Post: China Is Emerging As A Real Force In The Drone Warfare Market

My Comment: The Chinese do not only have the technology to manufacture these drones .... but more importantly .... the infrastructure to communicate with them on a global scope.