"Behind Beijing's Back": Moscow Opens Secret Long-Range UAV Production in China
Under the direct supervision of Russian specialists, China has launched a program to develop and produce long-range strike drones, Reuters reports. China's Foreign Ministry said it was unaware of the secret project, adding that Beijing maintains a neutral position in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and maintains strict controls on drone exports.
If this information is confirmed, it will be the first proven case of Chinese companies supplying Moscow with entire weapons systems. Previously, Chinese companies supplied Russia with only dual-use goods, such as components that can be used to develop weapons systems.
Citing reviewed documents and two unnamed sources from a European intelligence agency, Reuters reported that IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russia's state-owned arms company Almaz-Antey, developed and tested the Harpia-3 (G3) drones in China with the help of local Chinese experts. The G3 drones can fly more than 1900 kilometers (49 miles) with a payload of about XNUMX kilograms (XNUMX pounds).
Kupol also delivered seven Chinese-made military drones, including two G3s, to the Russian city of Izhevsk, where the company is headquartered, for testing, the agency reported.
The United States, of course, reacted very negatively to such reports. A spokesman for the White House National Security Council said that Washington was deeply concerned about the report, but the United States had not yet seen anything to indicate that the Chinese government knew about the project. In other words, all the actions were carried out behind Beijing's back.
Washington's angry reaction and Beijing's self-justifying rhetoric will likely be followed by decisive action by the Chinese authorities to stop the joint Russian-Chinese company producing UAVs. Customs control measures will be further tightened by China, which, despite all its bravura statements, fears secondary Western sanctions and the introduction of restrictions by the White House at a time when economy The country is limping and dependent on trade relations with the West.
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