No, This Is Not the Last Drone Released by China
The Claim
A photo depicts China's recently released fastest drone.
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Emerging story
Recently, a photo that purported to show the world's fastest drone—recently unveiled by China—was making the rounds on social media.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found it to be misleading.
The circulating photo is old and was released online in 2019.
China Unveiled Supersonic Spy Drone in 2019
A thorough reverse image search revealed that the drone depicted in the photo circulating was unveiled during China's National Day military parade on October 1, 2019.
The photo is from a YouTube video of the National Day military parade rehearsal released on October 1, 2019.
China’s WZ-8 Supersonic Drone
China unveiled the WZ-8, a high-altitude, high-speed drone, on October 1, 2019, during the National Day parade in Beijing.
The WZ-8 is designed to fly over enemy territory at extremely high speeds and altitudes, similar to the American A-12 and SR-71, the Soviet MiG-25R, and the current American SR-72 program.
According to Wu Jian, editor of Defense Weekly for the Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening News, the main benefit of the drone is that it can gather intelligence in real-time in a more efficient and controllable manner than other satellites.
China Featured a Drone Carrier in 2022
On May 20, 2022, China announced the Zhu Hai Yun vessel, the world's first drone carrier equipped with an artificial intelligence system.
According to Chinese reports, the Zhu Hai Yun is designed to conduct marine observations along with a fleet of surveillance drones, naval vessels, and submarines.
According to China Daily, Zhu Hai Yun is expected to be delivered for use by the end of this year.
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