China appears to be developing drones from Soviet fighter jets

The country's air force seems to be giving a second life to out-of-service fighter jets and converting them into modern weapons.

During the 1950s, China obtained a license to manufacture Soviet supersonic MiG-19 aircraft. They were built in China under the brand name J-16. A total of 2,000 aircraft were produced, and a few still remained in service until 2010.

Recently published images have indicated that J-16 has been given a new lease on life. California-based Planet Labs have captured images of about fifty decommissioned aircraft in The People's Chinese Liberation Army airfields.

The rumors that the Chinese Air Force is turning aircraft into UAVs have been circulating for some time. Now though, they have obtained some compelling evidence. These practices are relatively common: the American QF-16 attack drone was based on an old F-16 fighter jet.