High-Altitude US Spy Drones Now Flying Over the South China Sea And South Of Taiwan

A US Navy MQ-4C Triton drone was seen flying towards the southeast of Taiwan on Wednesday. Photo: Handout

SCMP: US spy drone seen over South China Sea headed for Taiwan, Chinese think tank says

* United States could be seeking to track Chinese navy’s underwater activities in the region, observer says
* It comes as Washington steps up military presence after formally rejecting most of Beijing’s claims to the waterway

The United States has sent a high-altitude spy drone over the South China Sea, a Chinese think tank said on Thursday, days after Washington declared most of Beijing’s claims in the hotly contested waterway were “unlawful”.

The US Navy MQ-4C Triton – a long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle – was seen flying towards the southeast of Taiwan at about noon on Wednesday, according to the SCS Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Peking University think tank.

It said a US P-8A anti-submarine aircraft and a KC-135R aerial refuelling aircraft were also seen on Thursday flying southwest of Taiwan over the South China Sea.

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Update #1: High-altitude US spy drones spotted flying to south of Taiwan (Taiwan News)
Update #2: US Navy’s Triton Spy Drone Makes Rare Appearance in South China Sea (Sputnik)

WNU Editor: The US Navy MQ-4 Triton drones started flying operational missions from Guam only a few months ago .... Navy MQ-4 Triton Flying Operational Missions From Guam (USNI News).

This Drone Will Make The US Navy Even More Lethal

MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system. Photo: Northrop Grumman Corporation

Kris Osborn, National Interest: Navy Aircraft Carriers Have a Neat Trick to Kill More Enemy Ships

So what is it?

Designed to function as a maritime version of the Air Force's Global Hawk surveillance plane, the Triton is designed for high-altitude, long-dwell ISR missions - the kind of technology suited for the geographically dispersed Pacific theater. The Air Force already has RQ-4 Global Hawks stationed at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The Triton is built with a thicker, more stiffened wing compared to the Global Hawk to enable the aircraft to rapidly change altitude in adverse or icy weather conditions. The drone uses a heated "engine inlet" to prevent ice build-up, Northrop Grumman information states.

Navy Aircraft Carrier Strike Groups in the Pacific will soon receive improved targeting data, video feeds and sensor information from new high-tech ocean warfare drones specially engineered to track enemy ships, small boats, aircraft and land weapons.

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WNU Editor: These drones are not cheap. The German military just bought four of them for $2.5 billion .... Germany To Buy Four U.S. Military Drones And Support Equipment For $2.5 Billion (April 17, 2018)