China reveals 200-strong AI drone swarm that can be controlled by a single soldier — ‘intelligent algorithm’ allows individual units to cooperate autonomously even after losing communication with operator
www.tomshardware.com
The PLA just introduced a new weapon in the drone arms race.

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) just demonstrated its latest drone swarm tech on state TV, showing a single soldier controlling 200 units.

According to the South China Morning Post, the drones are launched from the Swarm I land vehicle, A.K.A the High Mobility Swarm Weapon System, which can simultaneously launch 48 fixed-wing drones that work together.

Each unit can then autonomously communicate with each other, allowing the entire swarm to fly in precise formation and divide tasks among themselves, like conducting multi-target reconnaissance and strike operations, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in the report.

  • thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.worldEnglish
    16·
    16 hours ago

    It’s crazy how fast this new war tech is moving.

    Conflicts around the world are going to move to drones, not just Russian/Ukraine.

    Whoever can build millions of these, yearly, and cheaply will have a significant advantage. Will be able to sell them to other conflict zones

    An AK-47 is only piratical to 100meters. It was cheap machines guns that rolled back colonial empires like the British, and French, in places like Africa.

    I can only wonder what cheap drone tech will do to change world politics?

    • rollin@piefed.socialEnglish
      6·
      15 hours ago

      think what absolute chaos could be wrought if a terrorist group were to release a swarm like this in a large city

      • thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        15 hours ago

        We’ve seen something like this in the Russian/Ukraine battle. Russia’s old equipment couldn’t withstand modern shoulder fired rockets. However those are expensive.
        Now we have a stalemate, and both sides are using cheaper drones. Overnight, much of the tanks/fighter jets became obsolete because of drones and drone swarms. So now the world (especially Europe/USA) rearm.

        • rollin@piefed.socialEnglish
          5·
          14 hours ago

          Apparently Russia has been using (or still is using?) drones to kill/maim civilians in Kherson. That’s what I’m really on about - using drones & drone swarms to target normal people going about their day-to-day lives. It’s just really hard to defend against, and is only going to get worse as the tech progresses.

    • skozzii@lemmy.caEnglish
      8·
      13 hours ago

      As a Canadian it gives me relief, if the USA ever decided to invade Canada it would be absolutely brutal for both of us, not just one sided atleast. The fight would be happening back at home like they would never have expected, and would last until the occupation ends.

      I can’t believe I actually wrote those words in a reality where it could happen… Trump is destroying the world.

      • OutForARip@lemmy.caEnglish
        13·
        13 hours ago

        If the US invaded us, it would be over in a day with a few months spent rounding up lone fighters.

        Our citizens are not hiding stock piles of drones and explosives. We aren’t prepared to fight a long protracted battle like Ukraine was.

        • rbos@lemmy.caEnglish
          4·
          7 hours ago

          Canada has a ridiculous number of guns distributed among the population, especially in the back country. Those old Lee-Enfields still work fine and aren’t well documented.

          An insurgency in Canada would get messy fast. Smuggled drones from the States and China. Improvised explosives from agricultural producers. Canadians can blend into the US easily and the border would become instantly porous to nonexistent.