The China Academy of Electronics and Information Technology (CAEIT), a subsidiary of China's state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, has released a video of the September test. The Chinese Dongfeng Mengshi tactical light vehicle released a swarm of loitering ammunition known as suicide drones or kamikaze drones. The test video, first reported by The War Zone , also showed that the CAEIT test also involved at least one drone launched from a tube mounted on a Bell 206L helicopter, as well as one dropped from a helicopter similar to the Robinson R-series.
A Bell 206L helicopter launching a small drone during CAEIT trials.
Another piece of footage showing what looks like a Robinson R-series helicopter dropping a pipe with a small drone inside.
Towards the end of the video, a swarm of 11 drones can be seen flying together.
How does a suicide drone work?
The launcher on the truck has 48 cells. We can assume that a single truck is capable of launching dozens of loitering munitions that fill the gap between cruise missiles and a large number of unmanned combat vehicles.
The device is equipped with retractable wings and a camera, carries a high-explosive fragmentation warhead and can loit while the operator searches for potential targets.
Drones - kamikaze are designed to destroy enemy personnel, cars and even armored vehicles. The operator, equipped with a tablet that appears to be the command interface platform, selects multiple targets to engage the drones.
It is unclear what type of drone was used in the tests, but it resembles the CH-901 suicide drone, China's first tactical drone developed by the state-owned China Corporation of Aerospace Science and Technology. According to the South China Morning Post , the CH-901 is small - only 1.2 meters long and 9 kg in weight - but it can stay in the air for up to 120 minutes and reach speeds of up to 150 km / h before detonating.
12-pipe launcher for CH-901.
“Made in China”. Does the system have interference?
It is unclear whether this system has already been applied in the People's Liberation Army. Chinese military insiders told SCMP that development is at an early stage and China is still trying to overcome various technical challenges. For example, the military found interference in the communication system: artificial intelligence is too slow to respond.
China has made great strides in the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles in recent years. Not only did CAEIT set the record by launching 200 fixed-wing drones two years ago, China has also demonstrated large-scale operations using standard quadcopters on several occasions.
Drones are swarming around the world ...
However, China is not alone in its pursuit of swarm drones.
The Office of Naval Research is developing multi-tube launchers for Coyote drones as part of its Low Cost UAV Swarming Technology (LOCUST) program, which the Navy first demonstrated in 2015. Drones can be launched both from the ground and from a ship.
Other military units are also considering various options for creating a "killing swarm". For example, one of the programs of the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) studied the launch of dozens of rebuildable Gremlin drones from a C-130 Hercules aircraft.
The military is interested in the technology of swarming drones because it opens up many opportunities during military operations: whether it be reconnaissance, communications jamming or kinetic strike. However, the potential defenses against these combat systems are insufficient, disproportionately expensive, or still very immature.
What do you think about the use of artificial intelligence for military purposes? Share your opinion in the comments!
List of references:
- China is practicing unleashing swarms of suicide drones packed with explosives from the backs of trucks [ ]. URL: www.businessinsider.com/china-test-launched-swarm-of-suicide-drones-from-a-truck-2020-10
- China tests swarm of ‘suicide drones’ launched from a truck and helicopters [ ]. URL: www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3105670/china-tests-swarm-suicide-drones-launched-truck-and-helicopters
- China Conducts Test Of Massive Suicide Drone Swarm Launched From A Box On A Truck [ ]. URL: www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37062/china-conducts-test-of-massive-suicide-drone-swarm-launched-from-a-box-on-a-truck