China’s military steps up drone training in mountainous border areas
- Recent exercises in southwest and far west of the country highlighted by PLA and state television
- Meanwhile, military academy says it bought a drone simulation training system that can operate a ‘super swarm’
China’s military is stepping up its use of surveillance and strike drones in the country’s mountainous border regions, with recent training highlighted by the PLA and state television.
In a post on its official WeChat social media account, the PLA said the training by the 75th Group Army was aimed at improving soldiers’ skills in using drones for aerial surveillance and precision strikes.
“Drones are our second pair of eyes on the battlefield,” the post said.
The 75th Group Army is based in Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
State broadcaster CCTV aired footage of the drill on the weekend, identifying the troops as belonging to Jin Lie Sun, or Golden Eagle and Saker Falcon – an elite unit set up in 2017 that uses hi-tech military equipment. The report said the information gathered was sent back to a command centre to inform decisions made during the drill.