Bombshell report claims China is transforming old jets for new war

Multiple sources have claimed that the Chinese government is suspiciously repositioning its military assets, signaling possible future activity around Taiwan.

The reports come from the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, which tracks Chinese military might and defense systems.

'We are concerned by the increased pressure from Beijing, including military activity around Taiwan.'

The China Airpower Tracker reportedly showed lines of typically retired Chinese fighter jets, which have drawn suspicion from experts. The J-6 fighter (also known as the Shenyang J-6) was first developed in the late 1950s.

China retired the line of jets in the late 1990s, but now, experts say, China is retrofitting the old fighters to serve as unmanned craft and staging them at six air bases close to the Taiwan Strait. Mitchell Institute senior fellow J. Michael Dahm told Reuters that approximately 200 obsolete fighters were being converted to drones.

The drones could be used to "attack Taiwan, U.S., or allied targets in large numbers, effectively overwhelming air defenses," Dahm claimed.

At the same time, the Mitchell Institute is not the only source noticing some of China's militaristic anomalies.

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In a March 17 report, Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies noticed "small swept-wing aircraft parked on the same apron" as the newer J-16 multi-role fighter at Zhangzhou's Longtian Airport, "presumed to be a J-6 fighter (equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks)."

The NIDS concluded that "there is no immediately apparent rational explanation for the presence of J-6s at forward airfields. The co-existence of state-of-the-art multi-role fighters and obsolete fighters cannot be explained simply by a fleet modernization program," the report continued. "Rather, it suggests that they may be assigned different missions."

Noting that the J-6 is no longer capable of enduring modern air-to-air battles, the report said it is "not technically implausible" that it could be recommissioned into service following a conversion to an "unmanned configuration."

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"We are concerned by the increased pressure from Beijing, including military activity around Taiwan that raises the risk of miscalculation," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a recent Taiwan briefing.

Taiwanese Deputy Minister Hsu Szu-chien said he hoped the United States would soon expedite a process for arm sales to his country.

"This would greatly facilitate our efforts to secure funding for the special defense budget," said Szu-chien.

Reuters also reported that the U.S. is preparing an arm sales package to Taiwan worth $14 billion.

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