Two Chinese J-16s Control “Armed” Recon Attack Drone in Latest “CopyCat” Effort

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

Two Chinese J-16 fighter jets were able to fly alongside, control and operate with an armed Chinese GJ-2 reconnaissance drone in what People’s Liberation Army essays describe as breakthrough manned-unmanned teaming and multi-domain operations. 

This may sound quite familiar, as the Chinese have for years exhibited an observable tendency to essentially “copycat,” “replicate” or simply “steal” US military tactics and strategies. This concern is of course quite well known and documented by Congressional and military leaders when it comes to Chinese “theft” of US military technologies, yet there is a lesser known yet equally recognizable Chinese tendency to follow, copy and replicate US military tactics, training operations and concepts of operation.  The armed GJ-2 reconnaissance drone looks a lot like a US-Army Gray Eagle and the PLA exercises appear aimed at developing new manned-unmanned teaming attack tactics and operations. 

Prominent members of Congress and Pentagon leaders have for years expressed significant worry about Chinese efforts to steal and “copy” US military technologies and tactics. For example, Chinese government back newspapers have for years been detailing joint air-sea-ground training exercises in a manner nearly identical to the US military’s Joint Air Ground Task Force multi-domain training units. More specifically, the People’s Liberation Army Navy conducted “dual” carrier training operations in the Pacific to show extended, coordinated air campaign attack very quickly after the US Navy demonstrated “dual” carrier operations in the Pacific. 

The Chinese government backed Global Times newspaper explains that the fighter-jet – armed drone connectivity represents PLA Army – PLA Air Force joint service integration. 

The Chinese paper quotes military experts detailing some of the tactical possibilities this kind of manned-unmanned teaming can generate. Perhaps the drone is an early reconnaissance node designed to find and light-up or paint targets for high-speed fighter jets to attack, or perhaps the fighter jets seeks to establish air superiority to enable a longer-endurance armed drone to conduct extended surveillance and attack in a low threat environment. 

“A possibility is that the fighter jet arrives at the target zone first using its speed advantage, wins air superiority and launches a first wave of attack, before leaving the target zone to be cleaned and controlled by the slower but longer-enduring drone,” the Chinese Global Times newspaper quotes a Chinese military expert saying.