Beijing displayed an array of new military drones at an exhibition in southwest China last week, a technology the PLA considers a key area to advance.
More than 300 models of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – many for military uses – were on display at the UAV Industry Development Conference in the Science and Technology City in Mianyang, a major defence industry base in Sichuan province.
One small high-speed drone, or loitering munition, can carry out a suicide bombing at 174km (108 miles) per hour, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The quadcopter drone has a maximum flight time of 30 minutes and is equipped with automatic tracking and location devices for a precision strike. It can carry 500 grams of TNT – enough to take out a normal car.
The compact drone weighs only 1.8kg (about 4lb), and comes with a backpack that would enable an infantry soldier to carry four of them at the same time.
“As soon as one of these drones takes to the air and takes out its target, a second one can follow in almost seamless operation,” the CCTV report said.
The loitering munitions drones have been stars in the Ukraine war, used by both Russian and Ukrainian troops, and are considered a revolutionary weapon in modern warfare.
“Precision and lightweight have increasingly become the current trend of military UAVs,” the CCTV report said.
Many drones at the air show were constructed of carbon fibre and other lightweight materials, it added, with their lightness a key feature.
Chinese military contractors also continue to produce large multi-role UAVs. A new model of the 20-metre wide TB series, one of the largest drones deployed by the PLA and used in patrols around Taiwan, was also on display at the conference.
This TB model features two packs of airborne telecommunication modules. With its 35-hour flight time, the drone could serve as a stable data transmission station in emergency situations.
PLA spy drone circles Taiwan again as Beijing tests new tactics
PLA spy drone circles Taiwan again as Beijing tests new tactics
Exhibitors also showed off a flapping-wing drone designed to look like an eagle, developed by the China South Industries Group. The “ornithopter” is said to be “highly mobile and camouflaged, capable of a wide range of military applications”.
A documentary released on the anniversary of the PLA’s founding in August featured a special tactical team operating a similar birdlike flapping-wing drone for reconnaissance in an exercise.
The film also included footage of soldiers using a body-sensing smart glove to control the first-person-view drones in their infiltration and attack exercise.
