By Li Jingyao, Vision Times
A Chinese military drone operating over the South China Sea has been detected transmitting false aircraft identification signals to make it appear on radar as a different foreign aircraft. Analysts say the unusual tactic could represent an escalation in Beijing’s gray-zone warfare strategy to test deception techniques that could be used in a potential armed conflict with Taiwan.
According to an analysis by Reuters using flight data from the global tracking website Flightradar24, a Chinese military drone operating under the callsign YILO4200 has conducted at least 23 flights since August 2025. The callsign is known to belong to a long-endurance Chinese military drone.
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Far-reaching capabilities
However, the aircraft’s transmitted identification codes did not match the drone itself. Instead, the signals corresponded to aircraft belonging to other countries and operators, including a Belarusian cargo aircraft operated by Rada Airlines, a British Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jet, a North Korean Il-62 passenger aircraft, and an anonymous Gulfstream business jet registered in the United States.
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In one particularly unusual instance, the drone transmitted the same identification number as an actual Belarusian cargo plane that was simultaneously flying elsewhere, effectively creating the appearance of two identical aircraft operating at the same time.
Most of the drone flights were tracked departing from China’s Hainan Province and flying east toward the Philippines, passing near the disputed Paracel Islands and waters claimed by Vietnam. Reuters described the activity as the first time the scale and complexity of such operations had been publicly revealed.
Shifting gears
Three regional diplomats familiar with the data, four open-source intelligence analysts, and three security scholars told Reuters the flights appear to be part of a carefully designed operation as China expands its influence around Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Analysts say the operations likely combine electronic warfare and deception tactics aimed at improving military readiness. Singapore-based security analyst Neil said the pattern of flights suggests preparations for potential Taiwan-related operations, noting that China has repeatedly conducted large-scale drills in the South China Sea while positioning forces around strategic areas linked to Taiwan.
Diplomats and intelligence analysts believe the technique may not fully deceive advanced military radar systems, but it could still create confusion and delay decision-making during a crisis. The deceptive signals could also help mask sensitive reconnaissance missions or support psychological and information warfare campaigns.
Neil, a researcher with the Pacific Forum think tank, said the tactic represents a broader strategy to manipulate information in the digital domain during periods of regional tension. “This is a new strategy by China to create confusion in the digital domain,” Neil said. “When regional tensions escalate into conflict, such tactics could become highly useful.”
He added that the operations resemble what the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has described as “rehearsals for confrontation.” In addition, he said the activities had the capability to “disrupt an opponent’s ability to judge the situation that will benefit China.” Though Taiwan operates as a sovereign nation, Beijing views it as a breakaway province and has vowed to reclaim the self-governing island by “any means necessary,” including military force.
Endurance drones
Louis, founder of the open-source intelligence platform PLATracker, identified the aircraft associated with the YILO4200 callsign as China’s domestically produced Wing Loong-2 long-endurance drone. The drone has a wingspan of approximately 20.5 meters and is considered broadly comparable to the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle.
Louis emphasized the unusual nature of the tactic. “We have never seen this kind of method before,” he said. “This type of deception experiment using aircraft in a real operational environment is far from subtle and does not appear accidental.” Open-source analysts and aviation specialists also confirmed that altering an aircraft’s identification code through its onboard transponder is technically feasible.
Aircraft identification numbers come from a 24-bit address system managed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These codes are broadcast by onboard transponders and allow tracking systems to display an aircraft’s location, direction, and speed. Each code is unique and publicly searchable.
Two pilots and two aviation analysts told Reuters that reprogramming a transponder to broadcast a different aircraft code is technically possible, though the scale of the Chinese operation surprised many observers.
Flights near strategic naval routes
According to available flight data, the drone’s routes passed through areas frequently used by naval forces, including waters south of Hainan Island near China’s submarine bases and eastward toward the Bashi Channel, a key maritime passage connecting the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. These waters are considered strategic choke points for the Chinese navy when deploying vessels into the Pacific.
China’s Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment regarding the drone flights or their purpose. But publicly-available information shows that the Wing Loong-2, also known by its military designation Attack-2, is a Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. The drone is designed as a platform for aerial reconnaissance, precision strikes, and emergency communications.
The aircraft features a long, slender fuselage with a V-shaped tail and retractable landing gear. Each wing includes three weapon hardpoints capable of carrying bombs, rockets, or air-to-ground missiles.
A satellite communication antenna mounted on the upper forward fuselage allows long-range data transmission between the drone and ground control stations. Because it operates through satellite links, the Wing Loong-2 has the capability to conduct long-distance strike operations.
