Presumed US drone spotted over China-Russia naval drill
Staff Reporter 2013-07-12 15:30
An X-47B drone lands on the deck of the USS George HW Bush on July 10. (Photo courtesy of USN)
An unidentified aircraft likely to be an American drone was detected above the Sea of Japan during the Maritime Cooperation 2013 naval exercise between China's People's Liberation Army and the Russian Navy over the Peter the Great Gulf, reports the Moscow-based Interfax.
A Russian source told Interfax that the unidentified aircraft intruding near the waters where the exercise was being held on July 10 was probably a US unmanned aerial vehicle. Russian Air Force fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft but failed to do so.
The source confirmed that the aircraft had nothing to do with the joint drill underway in the Sea of Japan between July 5-12.
Also on Wednesday, the US Navy successfully landed a X-47B drone on the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush in the Atlantic. Drones taking off from aircraft carriers will play a crucial role in future naval operations, according to Ray Mabus, the US naval secretary.
