The global security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid evolution of unmanned systems in military applications. This shift has placed the United States and China at the vanguard of a multi-domain and multi-technology competition, fundamentally altering the calculus of modern warfare. It is a strategic contest where innovation cycles, industrial capacity, procurement agility, and the ability to integrate battlefield lessons are paramount, moving beyond a simple arms race in terms of sheer quantity or capability.
Both nations perceive unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as central to future military effectiveness, closely studying the lessons from recent conflicts, particularly the war in Ukraine, to refine their respective approaches. Understanding these diverse perspectives is not merely an academic exercise; it is essential for evaluating the evolving global security environment and grasping the implications for regional stability, particularly in critical areas like the Indo-Pacific, which has become increasingly central to U.S. strategic interests due to China’s growing influence and military capabilities.
From Beijing’s strategic vision to Washington’s rapid adaptation initiatives, the race to dominate unmanned warfare is a defining feature of 21st-century defense. This article delves into the intricate details of China’s accelerated ascent in drone warfare, examining the doctrines, technologies, and specific systems that underscore its commitment to ‘intelligentized warfare,’ and setting the stage for a comprehensive understanding of this pivotal geopolitical competition.
1. **China’s “Intelligentized Warfare” Doctrine: A New Strategic Frontier**China’s military doctrine, particularly its vision of “intelligentized warfare,” positions drones as a critical component in its overarching strategy. This innovative approach aims to seamlessly integrate advanced sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and networked operations into a cohesive military framework. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) views this integration not merely as an enhancement of existing capabilities but as a fundamental redefinition of military effectiveness, enabling more agile, precise, and potentially overwhelming operations across various domains.
Early Chinese systems, such as the Wing Loong and CH-series drones, often drew inspiration from foreign designs, including those of the U.S. However, China has rapidly transitioned to developing indigenous designs, specifically optimized for its domestic operational requirements. This shift underscores a broader commitment to self-reliance and the tailoring of technology to serve specific strategic objectives, reflecting a mature and independent research and development ecosystem that can rapidly iterate and deploy new systems.
The emphasis on “intelligentized warfare” also implies a significant investment in autonomous capabilities beyond basic functions. While current Chinese drones primarily feature limited autonomy, such as automated takeoff/landing and collision avoidance, the PLA is actively pursuing more advanced autonomous functionalities. This includes sophisticated guidance systems like “pixel lock” technology, which ensures target persistence even in scenarios where jamming attempts might otherwise disrupt operations, thereby enhancing their resilience and effectiveness in contested environments.
2. **Mass Production of Low-Cost, AI-Assisted Drones: The Power of Volume**Central to China’s drone strategy is its remarkable capacity for mass production of low-cost, AI-assisted drones. The PLA is not merely acquiring advanced systems; it is expanding its inventory rapidly, integrating these cost-effective tools across infantry units and tailoring them for widespread deployment in high-intensity conflict scenarios. This approach leverages China’s robust industrial base and its unique civil–military fusion policy, which allows for the swift adaptation of commercial technologies for military use.
Firms like DJI, a global leader in commercial drone manufacturing, provide a ready technological foundation that can be quickly militarized. This symbiotic relationship between the civilian and military sectors enables China to develop, test, and deploy large volumes of unmanned systems at a speed and scale that is difficult for other nations to match. The cost-effectiveness of these drones makes them particularly attractive for saturation or attrition scenarios, where the loss of individual units is less financially impactful than the loss of high-end, expensive platforms.
The ability to mass-produce such systems at a lower cost also plays a crucial role in China’s Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy. By deploying thousands of low-cost unmanned systems across land, air, and sea, the PLA aims to overwhelm enemy defenses with sheer volume. This approach is designed to reduce the effectiveness of advanced, but potentially limited in number, counter-systems, thereby creating a significant challenge for any opposing force attempting to operate within China’s envisioned sphere of influence.
3. **Tactical Drone Innovations: FPV Kamikazes and Wire-Guided Resilience**China has demonstrated a keen ability to learn from contemporary conflicts, closely studying the war in Ukraine and its implications for modern battlefield tactics. The effectiveness of first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones in Ukraine, in particular, has not gone unnoticed by Chinese military planners. Recognizing their cost-effectiveness and disruptive potential, the PLA has initiated the deployment of smaller, tactical systems across multiple echelons, aiming to replicate and enhance these capabilities within its own force structure.
Beyond FPV kamikazes, China is also innovating in areas designed to counter sophisticated electronic warfare (EW) environments. A notable example is its experimentation with wire-guided drones, which are capable of operating up to 50 kilometers without being susceptible to jamming. This innovation addresses a critical vulnerability of wireless drone operations and highlights China’s focus on ensuring operational continuity even in heavily contested electromagnetic spectrums.
The development of wire-guided drones is further supported by China’s dominance in global fiber optic cable production, as noted by Statista. This control over a vital resource ensures a secure and abundant supply chain for such systems, underpinning a strategic advantage in developing resilient, jam-resistant drone platforms. These tactical innovations collectively demonstrate China’s holistic approach to drone development, focusing on both offensive disruption and defensive resilience against advanced countermeasures.
4. **China’s Layered Counter-UAS Systems: Building Robust Defenses**Chinese military planners view drones as both a potent offensive tool and a significant defensive challenge. Consequently, alongside its offensive drone buildup, the PLA is investing heavily in a comprehensive, layered counter-UAS (C-UAS) strategy. This defensive architecture is meticulously designed to address a wide spectrum of aerial threats, ranging from small commercial quadcopters to coordinated swarms and large unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), reflecting a clear understanding of the diverse nature of modern drone threats.
The C-UAS approach integrates a variety of advanced technologies, including high-powered microwave systems, directed-energy lasers, and conventional kinetic interceptors. This multi-pronged defense ensures redundancy and flexibility, allowing the PLA to adapt its response based on the specific characteristics of an incoming threat, such as its control methods, payload, and flight profile. The lessons from Ukraine, where both sides faced and developed solutions for countering drone threats, have further reinforced the necessity for such diverse and adaptable defensive layers.
From the Chinese perspective, building resilience against U.S. and allied unmanned capabilities is just as vital as expanding their own drone arsenal. This mirrors a reciprocal concern in the United States regarding the neutralization of Chinese unmanned assets in a potential future conflict. The deployment of a robust, layered counter-drone strategy is therefore a critical component of China’s overall military modernization, aiming to protect its strategic assets and operational freedom in an increasingly drone-centric battlespace.
5. **The Threat of Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missiles (YJ-19): A Game Changer in Maritime Combat**One of the most potent warnings China has issued to U.S. forces, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, comes in the form of its new anti-ship missiles, prominently showcased at recent military parades. Among these, the YJ-19 stands out as a cruise missile that appears to utilize a “scramjet” engine, allowing it to burn fuel in a supersonic airflow. This design enables it to travel at least five times the speed of sound—making it a hypersonic weapon that can maneuver to evade traditional defenses, as reported by state media.
Three of the four new models of anti-ship missiles displayed were identified as hypersonic, signifying a major leap in China’s naval strike capabilities. According to Timothy R. Heath, a senior researcher at RAND, Beijing’s decision to showcase these weapons sends a clear message to Taiwan and Washington regarding China’s ability to threaten American warships. The potential impact on U.S. Navy ships’ vulnerability could be profound, depending on China’s capacity for mass production and deployment.
The YJ-19’s features suggest it could possess a highly unpredictable flight path and the ability to fly its final leg at a lower altitude than ballistic missiles, albeit at a slower speed, as noted by Eric Heginbotham of MIT. This combination of speed, maneuverability, and a potentially low terminal trajectory makes interception incredibly challenging for existing naval defense systems, enhancing China’s A2/AD capabilities and significantly altering the dynamics of maritime combat in contested waters.
6. **Modernizing Ground Forces: Airborne Combat Vehicles and Armored Buggies**China’s military modernization extends beyond air and sea, encompassing significant advancements in unmanned and semi-autonomous systems for ground troops. Recent parades have showcased new armored ground vehicles designed to be dropped from transport planes, equipped with what appear to be periscope-like viewers for troop observation from within. These innovations signal China’s investment in rapid deployment capabilities, essential for scenarios like a Taiwan contingency or interventions far beyond its immediate borders.
Joshua Arostegui, research director of the China Landpower Studies Center at the U.S. Army War College, highlighted that such advanced armor for airborne corps would provide light infantry forces with considerably more firepower and protection. This would be crucial for operations behind enemy lines or rapid responses to dangerous situations abroad, bolstering China’s ability to project power and defend its expanding global interests with unprecedented agility.
Additionally, the parade featured remote-controlled armored buggies specifically designed for mine clearance and retrieving wounded soldiers. These systems underscore China’s commitment to enhancing soldier safety and operational efficiency in high-risk environments, albeit with considerations regarding their cost and repair logistics. These ground-based unmanned systems exemplify China’s holistic approach to integrating autonomous technologies across all domains of warfare, reducing human exposure to direct threats while increasing operational tempo and effectiveness.
