“China has stationed obsolete supersonic fighters converted to attack drones at six air bases close to the Taiwan Strait, according to a new report by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.”
“Satellite imagery of these airfields from the February report, “China Airpower Tracker,” shows what appear to be lines of stubby, swept-winged aircraft matching the shape of J-6 fighters that first flew with the Chinese air force in the 1960s. Since their conversion to drones, these aircraft have been identified at five bases in Fujian Province and one in Guangdong Province, according to the report from the Arlington-Virginia based institute.”
“These jets-turned-drones would fly into targets in the opening phase of an assault on Taiwan, Dahm, a former U.S. naval intelligence officer, told Reuters. They would be used more like cruise missiles than autonomous or remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).”
“Dahm estimated more than 500 of these aircraft have been converted to drones. The drone version of the J-6 is designated the J-6W.”