China has deployed hundreds of outdated supersonic fighter jets, which have been modernized and converted into strike drones, to strategic air bases along the Taiwan Strait. According to intelligence data, the objects were recorded at five airports in Fujian province and one in Guangdong province.
These are J-6 aircraft, which are copies of the Soviet MiG-19 and have been used by the Chinese air force since the middle of the last century.
Analysts note that China uses these drones not as classic autonomous vehicles, but as a kind of cruise missiles. The main goal of such a deployment is to create a massive “wave” that can overload the air defense systems of Taiwan and its allies at the initial stage of a possible conflict. A large number of simultaneously launched targets will force defenders to waste expensive anti-aircraft missiles on destroying technically obsolete but fast objects.
“They will attack Taiwan, the United States or allied targets in large numbers, effectively overwhelming air defenses,” said former U.S. Naval Intelligence officer J. Michael Dam.
Such tactics pose a serious cost-effectiveness problem for the region’s defense sector. The use of high-tech weapons against cheaply manufactured converted aircraft can quickly deplete arsenals. Senior Taiwanese security officials emphasize that preventing critical targets from being hit will inevitably lead to huge costs for intercepting the first wave of drones.
“The idea is to launch all the drones in the first hours of the offensive operation, creating chaos and depleting the enemy’s resources,” the expert emphasized.
According to researchers, in total China could have converted more than 500 such aircraft. Although these devices do not belong to the most modern generation of weapons, they remain dangerous due to their speed and number. Adding to the difficulty is that small interceptor drones, which have proven effective in modern land wars, are unlikely to be able to stop the J-6 jets.
Despite the threat, military analysts point out the weaknesses of such a strategy. The Chinese airfields where these drones are based are located quite close to the strait, making them vulnerable to counterattacks from Taiwan and international coalition forces in the event of active hostilities.
