Hayley Wong and Seong Hyeon Choi
The rise of military drones has transformed modern warfare in conflict zones like Ukraine and Gaza, a development that has not gone unnoticed by the US – the world’s most powerful military – and its second-placed rival China.
Both countries have been eyeing the technology, its most effective strategic uses, and the implications of artificial intelligence, to determine what it could mean for any confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Over the past two years, China has been heavily and comprehensively investing in drones, making faster, smarter and more adaptable devices for its navy, army and air force at a rate that has caught the attention of military observers.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other forms of drone technology are increasingly complementing crewed assets in People’s Liberation Army operations, making the PLA the only military to be competing tactically on a similar level with US forces.
In May, the Paris-based Naval News reported that a “mystery ship” spotted in satellite imagery of a dockyard near Shanghai appeared to be designed specifically to host fixed-wing UAVs. If correct, this could be the world’s first drone-dedicated naval carrier.
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