Drone warfare marks a first for SCO drill, as region faces up to terror attack risks in Afghan fallout
- Drone attack defences tested during annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation drill for the first time, as US retreat from Afghanistan sparks security worries
- Even though China is among the leaders in unmanned aerial vehicle technology, how to create a ‘shield’ to counter the ‘spear’ remains a headache
The new content aimed to address the trend of terrorist attacks carried out by drones, a spokesman for the Chinese defence ministry said, commenting on the two week “Peace Mission 2021” drill by SCO member states which concluded on September 24 in Russia’s Orenburg Region.
“The introduction of new additional drone attack countermeasures has greatly improved participants’ real combat capabilities against terrorist attacks,” Senior Colonel Wu Qian told a monthly press conference on Thursday.
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Chinese drones among new military aircraft highlighted at Zhuhai Airshow
The new tactics were introduced amid concerns within the SCO, a regional security grouping led by China and Russia, about new risks and challenges arising from the hasty withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, security experts said.
“All SCO members need to come up with effective and comprehensive countermeasures because all have been under the cloud of potential terrorist attacks after all the foreign troops left Afghanistan,” Sun Yu, a researcher in Eurasian security at the Andijan State University in Uzbekistan, said.
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Chinese soldiers take part in joint anti-terrorism drills in Russia
Given that unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) warfare is well on the way to emerging as one of the most important international security developments of this century, the technology has become a means to create an atmosphere of fear to influence a target audience – whether it is a civilian population or government, said Li Wei, a Beijing-based counterterrorist expert.
“The popularity of UAVs is a double-edged sword, as the technology doesn’t need highly skilled technicians to operate,” Li said. “The mushrooming of small, commercially available drones gives terrorists a low-cost option to stage attacks.”
From China to Middle East, drone warfare is on the rise
Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang military science and technology institute in Beijing, said finding ways to prevent and detect upcoming drone attacks had become a universal headache.
“China is one of the global powers leading in UAV technologies, but how to create a ‘shield’ to counter the ‘spear’ is still a new subject to China,” Zhou said.
“The countermeasures and tactics would involve a lot of complicated technologies, including the integration of photoelectric sensors and radar systems, deploying jammers, and then using net gun or laser light to destroy targets.”
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Taliban claims control over Afghan province of Panjshir, opposition says resistance will continue
Last year, a Turkish-made explosive-laden drone reportedly attacked a military base in Libya, in what was believed to be the world’s first case of an autonomous drone attacking humans without being instructed to do so.
More than 4,000 troops from nine countries took part in the September 13-24 joint counterterrorism military drill, with 550 of them from China. Apart from the eight SCO member states – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan and Uzbekistan – observer state Belarus took part in the exercises for the first time.
