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Chinese demonstration gathers swarm of drones, artificial intelligence, and autonomous communication in a military test showing how algorithms can coordinate machines on a large scale even under signal interference.
China released a demonstration of military technology in which a single soldier appears associated with the control of more than 200 fixed-wing drones organized in a swarm, according to images shown by CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster, and reported by the South China Morning Post.
The test was conducted by the National University of Defense Technology, linked to the People’s Liberation Army, and showed unmanned aircraft operating with artificial intelligence algorithms to coordinate formations, divide tasks, and maintain part of the operation even in an environment with communication interference.
The feature highlighted in the demonstration was the collective coordination.
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Instead of relying on a pilot for each aircraft, the system uses communication between the units to adjust movements and functions.
According to CCTV, the drones can engage in missions of multiple target reconnaissance and attack operations, with automatic task distribution according to the parameters defined in the exercise.
How a swarm of drones with AI works
In such systems, the human operator does not manually control each trajectory.
Their role is to define general commands, while the drones use algorithms to adjust routes, maintain distance from each other, and exchange information with other units.
This logic is studied in swarm robotics and seeks to reproduce, in machines, coordinated behaviors observed in natural groups, such as flocks of birds and schools of fish.
Xiang Xiaojia, a researcher at the School of Intelligent Science of the National University of Defense Technology, told CCTV that “each drone is equipped with an intelligent algorithm.”
According to him, through interconnection and autonomous negotiation, the units can form a collaborative swarm.
The statement describes the technical principle of the presented system: many small aircraft start to operate as a network, instead of relying exclusively on individual commands.
This type of architecture seeks to reduce an operational problem known in systems with a large number of machines.
The larger the number of units in flight, the greater the complexity tends to be in maintaining centralized control, stable communication, and quick decision-making.
By distributing part of the processing among the drones, the system reduces dependency on a single command station and allows partial reorganization when contact is lost.
Swarm I, Swarm II, and the launch at scale
The demonstration mentioned by the Chinese press involves Swarm I, described as a High Mobility Swarm Weapon System.
The ground vehicle would have the capacity to simultaneously launch 48 fixed-wing drones, which then operate in a coordinated manner.
According to the available coverage, the complete system can combine launches from multiple vehicles to reach more than 200 aircraft in operation.
Swarm I had already been presented at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2021.
In 2024, China showed a later version, called Swarm II, with a reported maximum speed of 100 km/h, autonomy of over an hour, and the ability to carry different payloads, such as reconnaissance sensors, munitions, and communication relay devices.
This data comes from official presentations and specialized reports, without public independent confirmation of performance in a real operational scenario.
Another point described by CCTV was the use of anti-electromagnetic interference algorithms.
According to the state broadcaster, the drones were tested in signal-blocked environments and could continue performing tasks even without direct contact with the operator.
This information relates to one of the most closely monitored areas in anti-drone defense, as electronic warfare systems seek to disrupt control, navigation, and data transmission signals.
Communication between drones and autonomous operation
Communication between the units defines how the swarm reacts when part of the system loses signal or goes out of operation.
In a centralized model, a failure in the main link can affect the entire mission.
In a distributed arrangement, each drone shares local information and can reorganize part of the group when a unit loses contact, experiences interference, or ceases to function.
This does not eliminate technical limitations.
Weather conditions, battery or fuel autonomy, sensor range, navigation accuracy, intense interference, and anti-aircraft defenses continue to affect drone missions.
Even so, the multiplication of smaller targets changes the defense calculation, as it forces adversary systems to deal with dozens or hundreds of aircraft simultaneously.
In the engineering field, the development of swarms involves navigation, perception, communication, and decision-making without collisions or unexpected behavior.
In military applications, these resources are evaluated for wide-area reconnaissance, defense saturation, and reducing the interval between target identification and operational response.
The topic has come to bring together robotics, artificial intelligence, and military doctrine in a single research front.
Ukraine War and Military Use of Drones
China is not the only country investing in this type of technology.
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2022, expanded the use of small, cheap, and adaptable drones in reconnaissance and attack operations.
Reuters reported that FPV drones have become frequent on the front lines, with a direct impact on the movement of armored vehicles, troops, and vehicles.
Internal Ukrainian estimates seen by Reuters indicated that drones accounted for 69% of attacks against Russian troops and 75% of attacks against vehicles and equipment in 2024.
The data help explain why different armed forces have started investing in rapid production, 3D printed parts, electronic warfare, and low-cost defense systems against unmanned aircraft.
In the United States, the Army has also incorporated 3D printing into training and projects for units that build, repair, and adapt drones in the field.
In 2025, the 25th Infantry Division was described by Breaking Defense as one of the units involved in experiments with 3D printers to manufacture platforms and repair components, especially in exercises in the Indo-Pacific.
Lasers, Microwaves, and Defense Against Swarms
The advancement of swarms has led countries to test defense methods capable of targeting drones without relying solely on expensive missiles against lower-cost targets.
Among the alternatives under study are high-power microwave weapons, laser systems, aerial interceptors, electronic jammers, and integrated sensors.
The combination of these technologies is often treated in defense as a layered response, where different resources act according to distance, number of targets, and type of threat.
The United Kingdom announced that the DragonFire laser system will be installed on a Type 45 destroyer of the Royal Navy by 2027.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, the equipment shot down high-speed drones in tests, has an estimated cost of 10 pounds per shot, and declared precision to hit a target the size of a 1-pound coin at a kilometer distance.
The logic of these initiatives is to respond to a scenario where drones can be launched in large numbers.
Laser and microwave systems are still undergoing tests and operational integration, but are being monitored by governments and defense companies because they can reduce the cost per interception.
Missiles remain relevant in air defense, but their use against low-cost drones can create economic imbalance when attacks involve many simultaneous targets.
Sichuan and Chinese Naval Modernization
In addition to land-based launch vehicles, China is developing naval platforms that can expand the use of unmanned aircraft.
The Type 076 Sichuan amphibious assault ship began sea trials on November 14, 2025, according to the Associated Press.
The vessel has a displacement of about 40,000 tons and features an electromagnetic catapult, a system that the Chinese state media described as capable of launching fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and short or vertical takeoff models.
Although it is often referred to as a “drone carrier” in specialized analyses, the Sichuan is formally an amphibious assault ship.
The distinction is important because the vessel combines functions of supporting amphibious operations, launching aircraft, and transporting troops or equipment.
The exact capability to operate long-distance drone swarms has not yet been independently demonstrated publicly.
The interest in drone swarms is linked to the combination of scale, automation, and relative cost.
When dozens or hundreds of machines start coordinating movements through algorithms, the operation no longer depends solely on individual piloting and involves autonomous networks under human supervision.
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