Sep 18, 2025
What if a Cold War relic became China’s newest weapon in unmanned warfare?
That’s exactly what’s happening with the newly unveiled J-6W drone — a redesigned version of the vintage J-6 fighter now converted into a supersonic unmanned combat aerial vehicle.
Rather than being tossed aside after decades of service, hundreds of these old jets are being retrofitted: stripped down, fitted with autopilot, bombs or decoys, and turned into expendable strike or decoy platforms.
The idea? Mass saturation strikes — overwhelming defenses not through finesse, but through sheer numbers. It’s a shift in doctrine that leans hard into attritable assets.
Also, its positioning near Taiwan isn’t accidental. Strategy + geography = signal.