I also think it’s a little odd. However, taking the premise that their interest is in fact true, this is what I’m positing (admittedly, somewhat shoehorned):
In a 6 / 6.5 / 7th gen future of air combat - there will be heavy use of UAVs (obviously), and also munitions with extreme range and speed. Essentially A2A, A2G, and ASh Prompt Global Strike. Some of them may even be loitering (like Iran’s “A2A mines”) and multimodal (I’m thinking of a smaller YJ-19 with a detachable powered loitering wing kit — like a large simplified and stripped down Wing Loong / MQ-9). And then there’s space-based AMTI and surface targeting…
So the high speed recon aircraft, can also serve as a targeting and comms node. It can provide targeting information to long-range fires (CJ-1000, 1000km SAMs and everything else that gets developed along these lines), especially against moving or time sensitive targets when there are no AMTI (and other types) of satellites passing overhead or that remain functional or otherwise un-destroyed. It could also be used to quickly travel closer to (non-AI, remotely controlled) UAVs that are under EW attack and reestablish control with tight beams to the UAVs.
