A tiny 2cm-long drone used for ‘special missions on the battlefield’ has been unveiled by Chinese scientists – while the Prime Minister has warned of how technology could embolden an attack on UK soil
China has unveiled a futuristic mosquito-sized drone on the same week the British government warned that rapidly advancing technology is ‘transforming the nature of war’.
The tiny flying device – developed by the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in China’s Hunan province – is designed for “covert” military operations, and marks the latest war-ready device shown off by Beijing. Modelled after a mosquito, it has two wings, a black body, and three hair-thin legs, allowing it to carry out “special missions on the battlefield” without being detected. Researchers from the university showed off the gadget this week alongside a host of other robots, including humanoid machines and tiny drones, on state-run media.
The mosquito drone is just two centimetres (0.7in) long and 3cm wide (1.18in), weighing less than 0.2 grams. Another prototype of the device, which had four wings, appeared to be controlled via a smartphone.
Explaining how it could be deployed in battle, Liang Hexiang, a student at NUDT, told CCTV: “Here in my hand is a mosquito-like type of robot. Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield.”
China has invested heavily in the use of AI-powered gadgets for military purposes, and plans to introduce the largest drone carrier in the world by the end of this month. The ‘drone mothership’ will being able to launch huge swarms of ‘kamikaze’ devices upon enemy targets.
It comes after Keir Starmer warned that Britons must prepare for possibility of an attack on our own soil amid high tensions on the international stage.
Speaking this week as he unveiled the UK’s National Security Strategy, the Prime Minister said: “Russian aggression menaces our continent. Strategic competition is intensifying. Extremist ideologies are on the rise. Technology is transforming the nature of both war and domestic security. Hostile state activity takes place on British soil.”
One part of the 53-page document, authored by the Government, tells of how “adversaries are laying the foundations for future conflict, positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and or supply chains, to deter us from standing up to their aggression.
It adds: “For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario.”
China was identified as a particular potential threat as the country tries to devlope AI capability allowing them to release ‘swarms’ of drones in an attack. With the right programming these would be extremely difficult to shoot down or disable if they flew in overwhelming numbers, controlled by artificial intelligence responding at lightning speed.