China’s Massive WZ-9 Divine Eagle Drone Now Operating From South China Sea Base
The WZ-9 is a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) uncrewed ‘sensor truck’ that carries multiple radars capable of spotting and tracking targets over vast areas. These include objects in the air and on the surface below, as well as producing high-quality map-like radar images. While the operational status of the Divine Eagle is unclear, operations from Hainan would make perfect sense for providing valuable broad-area early warning and surveillance coverage out into the South China Sea and potentially far beyond.
A satellite image TWZ obtained from Planet Labs, seen below, shows the WZ-9 drone at Ledong Air Base, also known as Foluo Northeast Air Base, on Dec. 4, 2024. Ledong/Foluo is a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) facility situated at Hainan’s southwestern end. Hainan is an absolutely critical location for the People’s Liberation Army that hosts multiple bases, including two sprawling naval facilities, one of which supports the country’s second strike nuclear deterrent and features a submarine cave complex.