On March 26, a Chinese high-altitude drone flew over the Sea of Japan, which provoked Japan into scrambling fighter jets in response, according to Newsweek. The drone was identified as a WZ-7 Soaring Dragon, and it is designed to operate at high altitudes and with long endurance.
According to the U.S. Army’s ODIN military database, the WZ-7 is designed for “aerial reconnaissance, but it may also be fitted to provide targeting data for anti-ship ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.”
The range of the WZ-7 is estimated to be 4,350 miles (7,001 km), and it allegedly has a service ceiling of 60,000 feet (18,288 m). However, exact numbers are classified.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the Russian intelligence ship, the Kareliya, was also tracked entering the Sea of Japan the same day.
It is unknown whether these two incidents are connected.
