China building barges that can transport troops, equipment to Taiwan
China’s military developments are under scrutiny, as satellite imagery and intelligence reports reveal the construction of new amphibious landing barges and advancements in its aircraft carrier program. These developments raise concerns about Beijing’s military capabilities, and intentions in the Taiwan Strait.
Reports indicated that China is building specialized landing barges at a shipyard in southern China. Each barge is equipped with 120-meter-long bridges, capable of supporting heavy equipment, including tanks and bypassing terrain challenges like rocky or soft beaches. Defense analysts said these barges could expand potential landing sites for Chinese forces, challenging Taiwan’s strategy of fortifying a limited number of beaches.
Some experts believe the barges are designed primarily for military use, while others suggest they could serve civilian purposes, such as disaster relief. The timing and design of the vessels, however, highlight their potential military role.
China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian (CVN-18), returned to port after its sixth sea trial. Observers noted what appeared to be touch-and-go maneuver marks on the flight deck, suggesting early testing of aircraft landing and takeoff capabilities. Full-scale models of J-35 fighter jets and KJ-600 early warning aircraft were present during the trial, indicating progress in the ship’s operational readiness.
The Fujian is China’s first carrier equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), a technology that allows for more efficient launches of lighter and heavier aircraft. The carrier is expected to become fully operational by 2026.
China has not commented on the purpose of the barges or the Fujian’s latest trials. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently reiterated his commitment to Taiwan’s reunification, describing it as inevitable, adding to concerns about Beijing’s long-term intentions.
US Navy needs major funding boost to meet shipbuilding goals
There is no greater projection of global power than a nation’s navy. For decades, the United States Navy was the gold standard. If it wants to keep that designation, though, the U.S. Navy says it needs to buy more boats, which is going to cost tens of billions of dollars more per year than what the service currently receives in funding.
This news is coming from the Congressional Budget Office and its report on the Navy’s latest shipbuilding plans. Over the course of the next three decades, the Navy wants to grow the size of its current fleet from 296 battle force ships to 381. It would be the largest U.S. naval fleet since 2001, and it won’t be cheap to get there.
The service currently operates on a yearly budget of $340 billion. The CBO said that number needs to be boosted by at least another $85 billion to make the Navy’s shipbuilding plans a reality.
Getting to 381 ships by 2054 would also mean the fleet would actually shrink a bit in the near term. By decommissioning some older vessels, the Navy hopes to reallocate money that would be spent on upkeep and maintenance and put it toward the purchase of new vessels.
The realities of budget constraints are also forcing the Navy to rethink which ships it’s purchasing now, opting for proven vessels over more expensive next-gen models.
Under the 2024 shipbuilding plan, for instance, the Navy was slated to buy 34 next-generation attack submarines. In the 2025 plan, that number was reduced to 14, while the number of Virginia-class submarines was increased from 10 to 36.
Getting to 381 battle force ships would equate to spending at least $903 billion over the next 30 years. When outfitting and other costs are factored in, the CBO said it’s probably closer to $1.075 trillion.
Hitting the 381 mark would also mean producing 12 new vessels per year. American shipyards are already at capacity, and the Navy’s backlog to make all of its known repairs is sitting at about 20 years. So, needless to say, the CBO is skeptical if the Navy can succeed on its ambitious push to modernize.
But it needs to, at least according to most lawmakers in Washington.
China is preparing for war. The People’s Liberation Army was told numerous times it should be ready to take Taiwan by force in 2027. China’s shipbuilding far outpaces current U.S. capacity, and the PLA navy’s aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific are only growing more hostile. The United States is legally obligated to defend allies in the region, as well. So, if those hostilities do erupt into a kinetic conflict, the U.S. Navy will be vital.
Corruption scandal halts China’s military modernization: Pentagon
China’s ambitious goal to modernize its military by 2027, as directed by President Xi Jinping, is encountering significant challenges, including widespread corruption within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to a new Pentagon report. Between July and December 2023, at least 15 senior Chinese military officials and defense industry executives were removed from their positions.
Many of these officials oversaw critical projects, such as the Rocket Force, which manages China’s nuclear and missile programs.
Reports indicate the Rocket Force faced severe issues, including shortages of basic supplies like cooking fuel, prompting some personnel to steal rocket fuel for their meals.
Xi’s anti-corruption campaign
Xi launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign within the military. However, U.S. officials cautioned the investigations could further disrupt progress toward China’s 2027 modernization goals.
These goals include advancing weapons systems and preparing for potential military action against Taiwan.
CIA Director William J. Burns noted that while Xi has directed the PLA to be ready by 2027, there is no clear evidence of a specific timeline for an invasion.
China’s Defense Ministry denied certain media reports about its leadership reshuffle, labeling them baseless while acknowledging that high-ranking officials are under investigation for alleged disciplinary violations. The country’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the Pentagon report as biased, accusing the U.S. of using it to justify military expansion.
China’s steady military progress
Despite these setbacks, the Pentagon highlighted China’s steady progress in military modernization.
In 2024, Beijing’s defense budget estimated about $330 billion to $450 billion. Key priorities include hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence and an expanding navy, now the largest in the world by the number of ships.
However, slowing economic growth may force China to reassess its priorities and make difficult trade-offs. U.S. officials pointed to operational inefficiencies within the PLA, such as malfunctioning missile silo doors, submarines sinking while docked and delays in defense projects.
Meanwhile, Taiwan continues to bolster its defenses against escalating military activity from Beijing. Taiwanese officials described their strategy as one of deterrence, aimed at preventing potential aggression while strengthening their military capabilities to counter growing regional tensions.
Taiwan on alert as China deploys 90 ships in military exercise
Taiwan is reporting one of the largest Chinese naval deployments near its waters in recent months, with nearly 90 vessels and reserved airspace zones near the island sparking fresh concerns about regional security and military posturing. The seven airspace zones are near its Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, which Taiwan said could signal upcoming military exercises.
Taiwan is on high alert after China deploys naval fleets and coastguard vessels for military exercises across a broad swath of region's waters pic.twitter.com/oNyxBUMnjB
These zones will remain active until Wednesday, Dec. 11, though China has not announced specific tests or drills.
Taiwan described these moves as “unilateral provocations” intended to intimidate the region. Officials said Chinese aircraft and balloons have also been spotted over the Taiwan Strait. In response, Taiwan’s military initiated combat readiness exercises and is closely monitoring the situation.
Chinese state media suggest the maneuvers follow Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s recent trip to Guam and Hawaii. Beijing opposes any official interactions between Taiwan and the United States, calling such engagements an infringement on its sovereignty.
China continues to view Taiwan as a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to assert control. Taipei accuses Beijing of using “grey-zone tactics,” such as frequent military patrols, to pressure the island without escalating to direct conflict.
Austin downplayed the possibility of an imminent attack on Taiwan but emphasized China’s intent and growing capability to challenge international norms.
“There’s a lot of speculation about when Mr. Xi will decide to do one thing or another,” Austin said. ” would just say from my vantage point at this point in time, I don’t think, you know, an attack is either imminent or unavoidable. So, again, our goal is to make sure that we continue to work with like-minded partners and allies to ensure that we maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. And we’ve been pretty successful at that thus far.”
Pentagon warns of China-Russia alliance threatening Arctic security
The Arctic is shifting from a region of international cooperation to a battleground for global power. China is expanding its presence, pursuing influence in Arctic governance and tapping into economic opportunities created by climate change.
Its growing partnership with Russia—spanning trade, science and military cooperation—is reshaping regional dynamics. The Pentagon warned that this unprecedented collaboration poses potential security threats near Alaska and could alter the strategic balance in the Arctic.
“The PRC I think is one of the newer entrants on the scene, relatively speaking I think over time,” Ferguson said. “The strategic interest that they have in the region… or what are giving us pause… and how their long-term vision for the region… could affect our interests is giving us pause. And I think especially what we’re seeing—the increasing levels of collaboration between Russia and the PRC and unprecedented styles of collaboration, especially in the military domain—give us, again, pause.”
China, which does not border the Arctic, has declared itself a “near-Arctic state” and sees the region as key to advancing its military and economic goals. Meanwhile, Russia’s war in Ukraine has strengthened its ties with Beijing, opening new opportunities for collaboration.
The Pentagon’s latest Arctic Strategy highlights growing threats from both nations, including China’s use of dual-purpose icebreakers for underwater drone testing and aircraft operations. Ferguson says the U.S. is ramping up Arctic exercises with allies to deter further aggression.
“We really just need to be clear-eyed about some of their intentions in how we can be thinking about their long-term interests and how we can best protect ours,” Ferguson added.
Ferguson emphasized the need for renewed investment in Arctic infrastructure. She noted that during the Cold War, the U.S. heavily fortified the region, but much of that capability was scaled back over the decades. Now, officials are calling for a stronger, more permanent presence to meet the growing challenges posed by China and Russia.
China unveils new stealth jet and ‘space-air fighter’
The 15th Zhuhai Airshow in China kicked off on Tuesday, Nov. 12. While there was plenty of entertainment flying above, the show also gave the People’s Liberation Army a chance to showcase some of its latest advancements in weapons technology.
This year’s airshow saw the unveiling of China’s newest 5th-Gen stealth fighter, the J-35. Not much is known about the craft, other than it looks a lot like Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Chinese state-run media said the J-35 was designed mainly to carry out the task of “seizing and maintaining air supremacy.”
China showed off the J-35A variant during the airshow. The PLAAF is reportedly developing a ‘C’ variant as well, which will be used to take off and land on one of three aircraft carriers the People’s Liberation Army Navy is currently building and testing.
Both the J-35 variants are noticeably smaller than China’s first stealth fighter, the J-20, also known as the “Mighty Dragon.” At this year’s airshow, for the first time in public, a group of J-20 stealth fighters performed a series of aerial maneuvers to showcase both the skill of the pilots and just how nimble J-20s are. Mighty Dragons bear a striking resemblance to the U.S.-made F-22 Raptor and are designed primarily for air-to-air combat, also like the Raptor.
Another mock-up of an aircraft called the “White Emperor” was also unveiled at the show. China said the alleged 6th-generation stealth aircraft is an “integrated space-air fighter,” able to fly at supersonic speeds and then leave Earth’s atmosphere. It’s not clear if China is actually developing the White Emperor, or if this is misdirection. China had major problems making jet engines domestically, so it seems unlikely that it suddenly made such drastic leaps forward in developing a power source for such a craft.
As the pacing challenger to the United States military, the People’s Liberation Army is also heavily invested in developing drones and other unmanned combat aerial vehicles, or UCAVs.
Like the CH-7, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. In conjunction with the air show, the PLA released video of the CH-7 taking off from an unknown airstrip. Development on the UCAV started years ago. It’s based on a “flying-wing” concept, and looks pretty similar to U.S.-made stealth bombers like the B-2 Spirit and B-21 Raider.
Like those U.S.-made aircraft, China designed the CH-7 to be a stealth bomber. However, this model will be an uncrewed stealth bomber. The CH-7 can reportedly penetrate enemy airspace at high altitudes, and then engage targets using precision-guided bombs. The PLA also said the unmanned feature of the plane has the potential to revolutionize China’s long-range bomber capabilities.
China is also still working on developing its H-20 heavy stealth bomber. A video board at Airshow China displayed a rendering of the craft flying in formation with some fighters, but that is all the information given on that aircraft.
Air dominance isn’t just about what sort of planes a military can put up, but what sort of planes or weapons it can take down.
Airshow China also saw the unveiling of the new HQ-19 long-range surface-to-air missile system. It’s basically China’s version of the U.S.-made THAAD-ER system, the type of air defense system the U.S. recently sent to Israel. The mobile launcher carries six interceptors which can take down aircraft, but are primarily designed to use against ballistic missiles.
The HQ-19 has reportedly been in service with the PLA for some time, so the public unveiling is seen as a way for China to further project force in the region.
ZHUHAI, CHINA – NOV. 10: China’s unmanned surface vessel, JARI-USV-A, is seen as it is set to make its debut at the upcoming 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China 2024, on November 10, 2024 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Lastly, while it was an airshow, the PLA Navy wanted to make a splash too. The PLA Navy’s newest unmanned warship, a trimaran called the “Killer Whale,” also made an appearance. Chinese media described it as 190 feet long with a cruising speed of 40 knots and a range of around 4,000 nautical miles.
The Killer Whale looks a lot like the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships, which were designed to have swappable weapons components depending on the mission. While the U.S. Navy did away with swapping out weapons systems on its LCS vessels, it looks like the Chinese are leaning into the idea. Beijing said the Killer Whale can perform maritime patrols, surface warfare, anti-submarine operations, air defense missions, or search and rescue operations.
Just because China claims its weapons systems can perform certain tasks up to certain levels doesn’t mean they actually can. But military planners can’t take that chance. So, if China claims its new warships or planes can operate effectively against U.S. methods of detection and interdiction, then weapons makers in the U.S. will need to develop new ways to stay ahead, and the cat-and-mouse game that is warfare continues.
Taiwan is getting the same air defense system that protects Washington D.C., and China is none too pleased about it. The U.S. State Department approved the sale in late October of three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, also known as NASAMS, to Taiwan.
The $2 billion deal includes the supporting equipment for the three NASAMS, a host of radars and early-warning detection systems, and 123 AMRAAM-ERs, or Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles-Extended Range.
Those AMRAAM-ERs have a published range of at least 40 kilometers, or just under 25 miles. It’s not the type of system Taipei could use to attack Beijing, but NASAMS are great at downing helicopters, jets, drones and cruise missiles.
The AMRAAM-ER was originally designed to be air-launched, like the other missiles employed by the NASAMS. But the system takes those same weapons and converts them into ground-launched interceptors. As a result, the launchers can be pre-positioned for around-the-clock protection. They can be placed close together or far apart, depending on the need, and are controlled remotely by a fire distribution center.
NASAMS were developed by Raytheon and Kongsberg around 30 years ago, but they were designed to keep up with current technologies. In addition to AMRAAM and AMRAAM-ERs, the launchers can also fire the AIM-9X Sidewinder, a highly maneuverable missile which tracks a target’s heat signature and is designed for close-in encounters.
While the NASAMS sale didn’t include any Sidewinders, it is the 17th arms sale under the Biden administration to Taiwan, and one of those sales from last year did include 100 Sidewinders.
Back to the launchers: NASAMS are made to work well with other systems and integrate seamlessly into established air-defense networks. Thirteen nations currently use NASAMS to protect their most vital assets and facilities, like the White House and U.S. Capitol. NASAMS are easily one of the most battle-tested air defense systems available today.
Taiwan first requested them back in 2022, but because the U.S. partnered with Norway to build NASAMS, the Norwegians—and NATO—had to sign off on the deal. They did, and in doing so, sent a clear signal that the military alliance is keeping an eye on what happens in the Pacific.
China continues to make claims to territories it doesn’t own or no longer controls, like fishing grounds around the Philippines and the Island of Taiwan.
So, what does it all mean? The Taiwanese are getting a top-tier air defense system to protect their most critical facilities. This is strictly a defensive system, designed to counter most, if not all, of the weapons the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force—or PLAARF—would use if Beijing decides it wants to try and take Taiwan.
This isn’t sitting well with China. Its Foreign Ministry denounced the sale of NASAMS to Taiwan, saying China would take “resolute countermeasures and take all measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.”
No one is really sure what that would look like at this point, since again, NASAMS are defensive weapons, which means the only way China would be impacted by them is if they attack Taiwan.
Elite US Seal Team 6 preparing to defend Taiwan: Report
The U.S. Navy unit that took out 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden is preparing for its next covert mission as reported by the Financial Times on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The commandos of Seal Team 6 are training for the potential invasion of Taiwan by Chinese forces, according to sources familiar with the team’s operations.
U.S. officials maintain that an invasion by China is “neither imminent nor inevitable.” However, the United States apparently isn’t taking any chances as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army rapidly ramps up its military technology, and the U.S Indo-Pacific Commander says that China may be capable of taking over Taiwan by 2027.
Seal Team 6 is one of the most elite forces in the United States military alongside the U.S. Army’s Delta Force.
The U.S. has sent other special forces to Taiwan to provide training to Taiwanese forces in recent years. However, Seal Team 6’s operations are highly classified, and people familiar with the unit’s training did not provide further details on possible operations in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Beijing warned the U.S. to “stop enhancing military contact with the Taiwan region or arming it,” and accused Washington of heightening tensions along the Taiwan Strait, despite holding military drills of its own earlier this year in the region as a show of force.
China claims it’s committed to a peaceful reunification with Taiwan but has not ruled out the use of force. Beijing has long claimed that Taiwan is part of China while Taiwanese officials maintain that the island is independent from Beijing.
Russia and China patrolling together is ‘eyebrow raising’
For the first time, a pair of H-6 bombers from China were observed flying near Alaska, in a part of the skies known as the Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ. An ADIZ is not sovereign airspace, but all craft are required to identify themselves in the interest of international security.
The Chinese H-6s flew alongside a pair of Russian Tu-95 bombers. These types of patrol flights aren’t uncommon, but what is noteworthy is the fact the Chinese and Russian bombers were seen together.
This is just the sort of topic tackled on Straight Arrow News’ Weapons and Warfare podcast. The show’s host, Ryan Robertson, spoke with Matt Shoemaker, a friend of the show and a former U.S. intelligence officer what he thought about the situation.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Ryan Robertson: These kinds of things aren’t necessarily new. America does this, I mean, every country with a military does patrol missions, yeah?
Matt Shoemaker: Absolutely. Yeah. So the way that I saw this, the interesting side of things was not so much the Russians were doing it, as you mentioned that the Russians do this all the time. Actually, it’s almost on a weekly basis that they fly Tu-16s over the Pacific, somewhat close to Alaska, or sometimes all the way down to near California. Interestingly enough. The really interesting thing was the fact that the Chinese accompanied them this time. That was the thing that we have not seen before. And the Chinese, were using what’s called an H-6, which is just their knockoff version of the Tu-16. Interestingly enough, they reverse-engineered it, and pretty much just made a carbon copy of it on a lower quality basis. So yeah, the interesting thing is that the Chinese actually were working with the Russians for this.
Robertson: So the Chinese government said this is the ninth mission that the Chinese and the Russians have done together. Like you mentioned, it’s the first time we’ve seen it close to our borders. In your mind, what does that signify? Is this a turning point in the Chinese, the PLA Air Force?
Shoemaker: Yeah, the PLAAF. PLA-AF. Yeah, lots of fun. The best one is the PLAARF, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, the PLAARF. In terms of what this means, the way that I see this is that military exercises are oftentimes a form of communication between leaders, that’s one element to it. So in some sense, it’s the leaders of countries talking to other leaders. And you can do multiple things at once. With regards to this, you can send multiple messages all at the same time. So that’s certainly one element: that the Russians and the Chinese leadership are signaling to the Americans, and to the American leadership, that they are cooperating in this regard.
It’s hard to tell right now if this is significant for the long term, because from one perspective, the Chinese and the Russians are very much at odds with each other. They tend to not like each other, you know? They went to war with each other 50 years ago, between the Soviets and the Communist Chinese. So even two communist countries went to war with each other. The Chinese certainly want what they call Greater Manchuria, what would be essentially the Kamchatka region of Russia, and giving them access to the Arctic and all that sort of stuff. They see that as historically theirs, so from that perspective, they certainly are at odds with each other. So it’s a little weird. From that perspective, to see the Russians and the Chinese working together. I think over the short to medium term it is somewhat concerning. And it’s going to require, I think, a much more robust response, from the American leadership in particular, that I don’t think has been there over the past few years. Yeah.
Robertson: Why do you feel that way? Why do you think that? Is it like a changing of the guard? Russia has always been the Boogeyman and now China’s taking over that role for America?
Shoemaker: Not so much that, it’s more that the Russian culture and to a certain extent, the Chinese culture themselves, respond to force. They respond to strength actually, is probably a better way of putting it. If they can take an inch, they’ll take a mile type mentality. And that’s just part of the cultures that are there. It’s certainly very opportunistic, to a certain extent.
So, when they interpret American diplomacy, oftentimes, they see a diplomatic sort of response as weakness more than anything. it is seen – if the Americans are intending it to be an olive branch, they’re going to more than likely interpret it as weakness if we’re not careful. And I think that’s what I’ve seen over the past two to three years in particular, if not longer. That’s the way that they’re interpreting these things. And we can go into greater discussion in terms of how that relates to something like Ukraine. That certainly has knock-on effects, but that’s why I see the leadership from the American side needs to be much more robust in this.
Robertson: You bet. Sort of a ‘Teddy Roosevelt speak softly, carry a big stick’ kind of mentality?
Shoemaker: Yes! Except for the Americans never speak softly. And we always speak in a loud voice and will wield that big stick.
Robertson: You kind of mentioned the fact that it’s surprising that the Chinese participated in this. It is the new thing, right? Are we in the U.S., with the level of our ISR capabilities… I mean, with the balloons last year, the spy balloons, we knew the spy balloons were being launched, we tracked it across the oceans, right? Can we ever really be surprised if China or Russia launches bombers at us? Because we have satellites over every part of their country, we monitor everything. Can America ever really be surprised when another country flies planes near us?
Shoemaker: Well on the one hand, the question somewhat assumes that we are always at the top of our game, and the information always makes its way up to the leadership and then leadership makes the best decision or very good decisions based off of that information. So, I think the question is assuming maybe perhaps a little bit too much.
But I would say that from a technical perspective, it is a little bit eyebrow raising, let’s put it that way. It’s simply because the Chinese have been very clear over the course of modern Chinese history that they do not want allies. They do not have friends. They have in a certain sense, colleagues, if you will. They have been very particular to say that they will not go into an alliance with anyone. So from a technical perspective, to get the logistics working together, it’s not terribly difficult, but it is something that is usually outside of their wheelhouse.
However, we also have seen in the past about two to three weeks, I believe it was, was the Chinese sent a military cohort to Belarus, to participate in Russian and Belarusian military drills from a land-based and army-based perspective there. So, I think this might be a continuation of that, on the Air Force side of things doing patrols. So, to see the logistics starting to be hammered out is something that we haven’t really seen before. And given the fact that the Chinese have explicitly stated that they don’t want allies, that is something that is concerning.
What I’m going to be looking at, over the next probably year or two, and following is these sorts of activities and how integrated the two end up becoming? Are they kind of just talking to each other when they both just, you know, send off these planes on a mission? Or is there some sort of streamlined sort of leadership role where one of them is playing second fiddle to the other for one mission, and you know, they kind of flip flop back and forth. Is there an integration there? Or are they kind of just working together sort of thing? So that’s what I’m really going to be looking at.
And the difference between the two, of course, if they’re just kind of working together, and they all have their own leaderships telling them what to do, but they’re in constant communication, that is certainly more than we’ve seen in the past. However, it does create some logistical problems if they ever tried to get into a hot war, because now you’re adding an extra layer of communication that could break down.
If they start integrating, then that would certainly be very much a concern for the Americans, because then the integration side of things, which the Americans tend to be much better at with regards to – especially to European allies, and all the training we’ve done through NATO with regards to that. Integration between the Russian and the Chinese would be very much a problem. I’m highly skeptical of that simply because neither of them really wants to start playing second fiddle to either of them. So yeah, that’s what I’m looking at over the course of the next probably year or so.
So, while China flying a pair of its knock-off Russian bombers near U.S. airspace isn’t all that concerning or unexpected on its own, the real risk factor lies in just how cozy Russia and China decide to get.
How China’s gun-toting robodogs are looking to change combat forever
From man’s best friend to a killing machine, robodogs with automatic rifles went through drills for a 15-day exercise between Chinese and Cambodian troops. Despite having guns mounted on their backs, these dogs didn’t bite, not firing a single shot during the drills that started on May 16.
The exercise between the two militaries in Cambodia is known as Golden Dragon. This year’s iteration is reportedly the largest between the two countries.
During the training mission, the dystopian-looking K-9s demonstrated their master of leaping, walking and lying down. The Chinese military said that the robodogs will replace some humans in combat, identifying threats, conducting reconnaissance and striking targets with the automatic rifles mounted to their backs.
The robodogs are meant to take point for infantry, sniffing out dangers before they can hurt friendly troops.
The desire by China’s People Liberation Army to show off the new tech on its heavily restricted social media could signal a breakthrough in the technology or more propaganda. Chinese state-run media said that the presence of the robodogs alongside foreign militaries shows it may be in the advanced stages of development.
China is not alone in its efforts to develop these robotic killing machines. The U.S. Air Force also demonstrated the ability of its robodogs to quickly detect enemy threats and for scouting.
This year’s Golden Dragon exercise between China and Cambodia consisted of 2,000 troops using 14 warships, two choppers and 69 armored vehicles, as well as the powerful pooches.
