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Drone attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict ‘a warning for Chinese military’
- Armenia’s ambush by Azerbaijan’s armed drones gives glimpse of a future for which China should up its readiness, says article published by supplier to PLA
- China is developing drones of increasingly advanced capability, but experts say they also allow less well equipped militaries to inflict punishing losses
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An alarming lesson from the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh concerns drones’ transformation of battlefields, and shows China needs a carefully considered counter-strategy, according to an article published by a firm that supplies the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The article, in the latest edition of Naval and Merchant Ships – a Beijing-based magazine published by the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation – reviewed how the Armenian army was overwhelmed by enemy drones.
Despite their superiority in conventional ground forces, including tankers, radars and armoured vehicles, the Armenian army were easy prey for armed drones from Azerbaijan, notably Bayraktar TB2 drones that mounted precise attacks against targets in trenches and moving vehicles.
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Videos taken by Azerbaijan’s hovering drones showed Armenian soldiers being identified and targeted on the ground. The drones were also used for reconnaissance operations, helping Azerbaijan to force an Armenian surrender within six weeks.
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Deadly clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan reignite over Nagorno-Karabakh
Deadly clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan reignite over Nagorno-Karabakh
The enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh is inside the internationally recognised borders of Azerbaijan but was controlled by ethnic Armenian factions.
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