The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is making counter-drone training compulsory for some infantry units as it adapts battlefield tactics and equipment to the growing threat posed by uncrewed aircraft.
A brigade of the PLA’s 75th Group Army introduced mandatory counter-drone training after an exercise exposed the vulnerability of traditional camouflage to aerial surveillance. According to a report published by China Military Online on 9 November, a drone equipped with thermal imaging detected soldiers concealed beneath jungle vegetation and relayed their positions to an opposing artillery unit, resulting in simulated casualties and mission failure.
The brigade subsequently introduced new training manuals, tactical exercises and dedicated counter-drone training facilities. Training now covers the detection and disruption of hostile drones, the use of specialised equipment and coordinated infantry responses.
Former US Army attaché in Beijing Dennis Blasko told the South China Morning Post that the PLA was developing counter-drone weapons, doctrine and training across the force. However, he warned that individual units conducting their own experiments could lead to duplicated efforts and a lack of standardised procedures.
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Image: China Military, Soldiers operate anti-drone equipment to counter the enemy. (Photo by Cao Hongbo)
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