China claims to have developed a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can rapidly split into six to overwhelm enemy defenses.
Scientists from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics said the drone, which resembles a Chinese DJI multirotor, is faster and more efficient than conventional UAVs.
It has the ability to throw off opponents by unexpectedly turning into up to six smaller drones, depending on what is needed in battle.
Each drone, which has only one blade, could reportedly play a specific role, such as command, target tracking, fire support, and reconnaissance.
They can also hover freely and communicate with other platforms like a regular drone despite its unusual shape.
‘A Tactical Advantage’
If the claim is true, the cutting-edge UAV could give China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) a tactical advantage in a conflict.
Most enemy air defense systems are only able to deploy anti-drone weapon sources proportional to the number of threats detected on radar.
But if a drone suddenly multiplies mid-air, enemy air defenses could be overwhelmed, according to the Chinese scientists.
It also poses a “psychological shock” to enemy forces that could negatively affect their threat resistance.
“The main benefit is the ability to confuse the response of air defense systems,” a policy researcher at US-based think tank RAND Corporation told Business Insider.
“If the drone was ready to be fielded and a conflict broke out today, it could be a tactical game changer.”
