Chinese military drone spotted flying close to the Philippines ahead of BrahMos delivery from India
WZ-7 Soaring Dragon drone of the Chinese People's Liberation Army was spotted flying in close proximity to the Philippines, ahead of preparations by the Southeast Asian country to receive the delivery of Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, The Eurasian Times reported.
According to the report, the distinctive joined-wing shape of the WZ-7 drone caught the attention of Raffy Tima, a correspondent for Philippine news organisation GMA News, as it traversed the skies over the West Philippine Sea, an area within the South China Sea to the northwest of the Philippines.
The timing of this sighting is significant amid escalating tensions between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes, notably the Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal, in the South China Sea, the report noted. The acquisition of the BrahMos missiles from India is perceived as a strategic move by the Philippines to enhance its defensive capabilities to counter China's assertiveness in the region.
Procured as part of the 'Horizon 2' Priority Projects aimed at modernising the Philippine armed forces, the BrahMos missile system arrived in Manila on April 19.
The delivery, facilitated through a government-to-government (G2G) deal, encompasses three missile batteries, operator and maintainer training, and an Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package. Each missile battery typically comprises three mobile autonomous launchers with two or three missile tubes each, accompanied by the requisite tracking systems, The Eurasian Times reported.
