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Defence
ChinaMilitary

China tests swarm of ‘suicide drones’ launched from a truck and helicopters

  • Insider says the small fixed-wing unmanned aircraft was commissioned under Beijing’s military-civilian fusion strategy
  • He doesn’t give details of the aircraft, but they appear to be similar to the country’s first tactical attack drone, according to video footage

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Video footage shows the kamikaze drones being test-launched last month. Photo: Weibo
Minnie Chan

China has developed a new low-cost “suicide drone” that is despatched in a swarm to attack a target, according to mainland media reports.

It was commissioned as part of the government’s military-civilian fusion strategy, a People’s Liberation Army insider who requested anonymity told the South China Morning Post. The policy seeks to boost military development with civilian and private sector support.

A swarm of the fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles was tested last month by the developer, a research institute under state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, according to a video released by the company.

It shows kamikaze drones being launched from a light tactical vehicle and from helicopters.

The drones were fired from a launcher mounted on a modified version of the PLA’s Dongfeng Mengshi light tactical vehicle. Photo: Weibo
The drones were fired from a launcher mounted on a modified version of the PLA’s Dongfeng Mengshi light tactical vehicle. Photo: Weibo

The company has carried out similar tests before. In November 2017 its research institute, the China Academy of Electronics and Information Technology, carried out what is believed to be the biggest such experiment, involving 200 of the small fixed-wing aircraft.

In the video, multiple drones are seen being fired from a launcher mounted on the back of a modified version of the PLA’s Dongfeng Mengshi light tactical vehicle, as well as at least two from helicopters.

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