Reports: China is to deploy a high-altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound

A leaked US assessment reported by the Washington Post on Tuesday stated that China is planning to deploy a high-altitude spy drone that can travel at least three times the speed of sound. The document was reportedly obtained from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and shows satellite imagery dated August 9, where WZ-8 rocket-propelled reconnaissance drones can be seen at an air base in eastern China.

The assessment stated that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had ‘almost certainly’ established its first unmanned aerial vehicle unit at the base. This base falls under the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese military, which is responsible for enforcing Chinese sovereignty claims over Taiwan.

According to the Washington Post, the assessment was obtained from a trove of images of classified files posted on the Discord messaging app. These files were allegedly posted by Jack Douglas Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the US Air National Guard, who was arrested last week by the FBI for leaking the highly secretive documents.

The leak was considered a threat to national security, and the US had been working to identify the source of the leak.

The leaked papers contained information about the Ukraine war, China, and other countries, as well as a highly classified conversation held between high-level South Korean officials on whether to send weapons to Ukraine. Teixeira has been charged with the ‘unauthorized retention and transmission’ of classified US government documents.

He allegedly leaked the documents in a chatroom for gamers, Thug Shaker Central, on Discord. The Washington Post had earlier reported that the man who leaked these documents was known as OG in the group. Teixeira’s ‘online gaming profile’ and family photos posted to social media acted as evidence in the case.

He reportedly used to work during overnight shifts on Cape Cod and claimed in the chat group that he was able to access the documents because he worked on a ‘military base,’ the name of which wasn’t revealed earlier.

The leak of highly classified papers was an embarrassment for the US as it revealed that it had been spying on its allies.

However, the focus of the Washington Post’s report was on China’s development of a high-altitude spy drone and its potential impact on national security.