WZ-8 (c38b9f7a-79ee-5137-8548-c3d0a71c4407)
The AVIC WZ‑8 is a Chinese air‑launched, rocket‑powered unmanned aircraft designed for strategic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Equipped with electro‑optical imaging and synthetic‑aperture radar payloads, the drone is carried to altitude by a Xi’an H‑6M bomber before its two YF‑50 rocket motors accelerate it to Mach 3‑4 (≈3 700 km/h) at altitudes up to 50 km. Its hypersonic‑level speed and near‑space ceiling enable rapid, low‑observable over‑flight of high‑value targets such as Taiwan, the East China Sea and U.S. Pacific bases, delivering time‑critical imagery and radar data while evading conventional air‑defence systems. The platform also possesses a weapon‑carrying capability, suggesting a dual role of penetrating ISR and anti‑access/area‑denial (A2/AD) operations.
| Cluster A | Galaxy A | Cluster B | Galaxy B | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WZ-8 (c38b9f7a-79ee-5137-8548-c3d0a71c4407) | UAVs/UCAVs | Private Cluster (9ba1a30e-91cd-5450-a8e9-0cb0a5aee03a) | Unknown | 1 |
| china (84668357-5a8c-4bdd-9f0f-6b50b243484e) | Country | WZ-8 (c38b9f7a-79ee-5137-8548-c3d0a71c4407) | UAVs/UCAVs | 1 |
| 030 - Eastern Asia (aa46fbd1-54df-4e1e-a5d6-7bced5c59803) | Regions UN M49 | china (84668357-5a8c-4bdd-9f0f-6b50b243484e) | Country | 2 |