--- title: "Japanese Fighters Intercept China’s High-Flying WZ-7 Drone For First Time" date: "2023-01-02" modified: "2023-01-02" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/japanese-fighters-intercept-chinas-high-flying-wz-7-drone-for-first-time" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "Carriers" - "China" - "Drones" - "Fighters" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Japan Air Self Defense Force" - "Kuznetsov Class (and variants)" - "Liaoning (16)" - "News & Features" - "Sea" - "Unmanned" --- # Japanese Fighters Intercept China’s High-Flying WZ-7 Drone For First Time ![WZ-7 Soaring Dragon China]() *Japan MOD* Chinese WZ-7 surveillance drones have appeared for two days in a row over the East China Sea, prompting Japanese fighter jets to scramble to intercept them on both occasions. This is the first time that the Japanese authorities have reported intercepts of the WZ-7, one of the most advanced drones in Chinese service, and it could be connected with the recent movements of the Chinese aircraft carrier *[Liaoning]()* and its supporting task force in the same area. Either way, the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) drone, with its unique joined-wing design, may well become a more regular feature of Chinese activities in the wider region, providing capabilities loosely analogous to the [RQ-4 Global Hawk](). Yesterday, January 1, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) [disclosed]() that a single WZ-7 — the type is also known as the 'Soaring Dragon' — had been active in the East China Sea as part of a mission that lasted from the morning to the afternoon, local time. According to the MoD’s statement, the drone appeared over the East China Sea, then passed through [the Miyako Strait,]() which separates the main island of Okinawa and the Miyako Islands, which are also part of Okinawa Prefecture but which are located around 160 miles to the west. Once over the Philippine Sea, the drone flew south of Japan’s Sakishima Islands, further to the west, then reversed its course and headed back toward the main island of Okinawa. https://twitter.com/jointstaffpa/status/1609512009187614720?s=20&t=AtE7I6xRkkfzzhsafu3g_Q ![]() *The flight path of the WZ-7 for the sortie of January 2, as per the Japan Ministry of Defense. The drone flight the previous day followed an almost identical path. *Japan Ministry of Defense** In response, the Japanese MoD confirmed that fighters from the Southwestern Air Force of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, or JASDF, were scrambled to respond. Unconfirmed reports suggest that [F-15J Eagle]() fighter jets were involved, which would make sense as these aircraft are based at [Naha Air Base]() on the main island of Okinawa. *A tweet from the Japan Joint Staff reporting on a previous scramble by JASDF F-15J fighter jets over the East China Sea, in October 2022:* https://twitter.com/JapanJointStaff/status/1585850041721270273?s=20&t=fLKSnmu1CGvHz7sIlfF8_g ![]() *The approximate locations of the islands associated with the drone intercepts over the last two days. *Google Earth** Today, the Japanese MoD again [reported]() activity by another WZ-7 drone, in the same timeframe and flying an almost identical path from the East China Sea out into the Philippine Sea, bringing it close to Okinawa and other outlying Japanese islands. Exactly how close the drone came to Japanese territory or Japan’s exclusive economic zone is unclear, but there’s no indication that the WZ-7s in question departed from international airspace. It’s also worth noting that, further west, is the island of Yonaguni, the westernmost inhabited island of Japan, just off the east coast of Taiwan. With recently announced Japanese plans to deploy a [surface-to-air missile defense unit]() here, this location is also likely to be of growing interest to China. https://twitter.com/jointstaffpa/status/1609867437599756288?s=20&t=AtE7I6xRkkfzzhsafu3g_Q Meanwhile, the Japanese MoD [disclosed]() that the carrier *Liaoning* had passed through the Miyako Strait on January 1. Transiting from the Philippine Sea into the East China Sea, the flattop was accompanied by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) [Type 055 destroyers]() *Anshan* and *Wuxi*, the Type 052D destroyer *Chengdu*, the Type 054A frigate *Zaozhuang*, and the Type 901 fast combat support ship *Hulunhu*. According to the MoD, between Wednesday and Saturday of last week, the *Liaoning* conducted flight operations involving around 20 launches and recoveries of fighters and some 40 take-offs and landings by helicopters. Again, JASDF fighter jets were scrambled in response to [fighter activity]() aboard the carrier. Between December 17 to 31, meanwhile, the PLAN carrier completed roughly 320 takeoffs and landings of both fighters and helicopters, according to the Japanese MoD account. https://twitter.com/jointstaffpa/status/1609876127656611847?s=20&t=AtE7I6xRkkfzzhsafu3g_Q As for the WZ-7, the standout feature of this intriguing drone is the diamond-wing design, with the swept main wing joined to forward swept flying surfaces that terminate at the base of the vertical tail. Since its first appearance as a technology demonstrator in 2011, the design of the drone has changed significantly and it reappeared in its revised form in late 2013, now featuring canted vertical tail surfaces. Produced by the Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation, the drone [made its public debut]() at the Zhuhai Air Show in 2021, and we also got to have a closer look at it during the [2022 edition of the show](). ![]() *The original Soaring Dragon configuration. *Chinese Internet** ![]() *The highly refined and operational WZ-7 at Airshow China at Zhuhai in November 2022. *Infinty 0/Wikimedia Commons** https://twitter.com/jesusfroman/status/1589673580522262528?s=20&t=XuOUQPglxEAQmhUIXrhayg The WZ-7 is jet-powered, with an estimated range of 4,350 miles and a service ceiling of some 60,000 feet. Its endurance isn't known – at least 10 hours is likely – but the real number for a normal long-endurance mission could be much higher than that. This ambiguity means that it may fall someway short in the high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) category compared to the [RQ-4 Global Hawk](), for example, although its high-altitude capability and large sensor payload make it well suited to peering deep into regional adversary countries from international airspace. China's even larger and [higher-flying Divine Eagle]() is likely set to fulfill China's growing HALE needs in the years to come, as well. Stealthy [types are also possible.]() The WZ-7 is in service with both the PLAN and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, or PLAAF. With the PLAAF, the WZ-7 has notably been used [around Tibet](), to peer over the border into India. In addition to these operations, it has been flown from the highly strategic Yishuntun Airbase close to the North Korean border. https://twitter.com/thewarzonewire/status/1602752483650338816?s=20&t=GEKKDLasv9QHtwNORPJszg While the JASDF has not previously intercepted the WZ-7, scrambling fighters to meet Chinese drones flying in the East China Sea and the Miyako Strait is by no means new. You can read our reporting on a previous flurry of such activity, in this case involving the TB-001 and BZK-005 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drones, [here](). Chinese maritime patrol and electronic intelligence aircraft have also been encountered in the past flying similar routes, while Japan also monitors Chinese naval vessels as they pass through the Miyako Strait, including the aircraft carrier *Liaoning* and its task group, back in 2021. Drone intercepts in particular reinforce the [rapid developments in unmanned aircraft]() capabilities that are currently being made by the Chinese military. Meanwhile, the strategic significance of this body of water is obvious, since it provides a maritime passage connecting the East China Sea to the Philippine Sea, and the wider expanses of the Western Pacific. ![]() *A JASDF F-15J launches from the runway. Japanese Eagles continue to bear the brunt of the Japanese air defense alert commitment. *U.S. Air Force photo by/Staff Sgt. Miguel Lara** Compared to the TB-001 and BZK-005 that have been encountered here in the past, however, the WZ-7 offers an overall expanded level of capability. Its large size means it can provide multi-sensor intelligence gathering for a longer duration and over greater distances. It can also operate at higher altitudes, increasing sensor reach as well as providing more extensive beyond-line-of-sight connectivity capabilities. This could also come into play with the drone serving in a networking capacity for naval task forces, including carrier groups. All in all, while the specific details of the WZ-7’s performance and sensor fit remain limited, the drone would appear to provide China with a highly efficient platform for collecting multiple types of intelligence over and around the highly strategic Miyako Strait, and elsewhere too. Just last week, a WZ-7 was among the manned aircraft and drones that constituted the largest number of such platforms to enter Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ — 71 in all, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense. You can read more about that incident and its implications [here](). https://twitter.com/MoNDefense/status/1607180602754883589?s=20&t=LEllBUcAzfeQrfGQZIPhyA It certainly seems highly possible that the WZ-7 activity in and around the Miyako Strait could be connected with the movements of the *Liaoning* and its task group, but we cannot be sure about that. Moreover, the PLAN’s growing blue-water ambitions, within which carrier operations are central, are only set to grow as Beijing [adds new carriers]() and seeks to improve its [overall capacity to project power]() afar. As we see the PLAN carrier groups expand their operations westward, we will very likely see increased activity by these drones, [and others like them](), too. Whatever the case, having WZ-7s on station before, during, and after the task group’s transit of the Miyako Strait would be a very useful capability. For example, the drones could keep tabs on Japanese and other foreign warship movements, as well as collect and catalog electronic emissions from adversaries’ radar and communications systems as they work to respond to the Chinese carrier group. This is alongside their ability to generate high-resolution radar maps of the area and collect imagery of vessels of interest. Another important factor is monitoring the JASDF response to the presence of the drones themselves, providing data on response times plus tactics, techniques, and procedures. These drones could also provide a critical data relay function for a carrier group below. https://twitter.com/intel1osint100/status/1605282063095336961?s=20&t=CZk96X4tx56JsS8cGKXGWw It will be interesting to see if WZ-7s continue to appear over the strait, and in the general area, in the days to come, or whether this was a temporary spike in activity more likely connected with the recent movement of the *Liaoning*. The latest cruise by this carrier has been interesting in itself, with Chinese media [reporting]() that it came closer to the key U.S. [military outpost at Guam]() than it had ever been before. As such, we could see WZ-7 sorties even farther out in the Pacific. Whatever the case, the appearance of WZ-7s in the last two days provides even more evidence of the pacing change of China’s unmanned capabilities and the fact that the People’s Liberation Army at large now offers some highly advanced and unorthodox designs. The importance of drones like the distinctive WZ-7 is only likely to grow in the future as tensions continue to simmer in the highly strategic Indo-Pacific region, especially as China pushes out farther from its shores and continues to expand its military operations. *Contact the author: [thomas@thedrive.com]()* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()