Chinese army uses robot dogs and drones in simulated landing exercise (Photo: Reproduction/CCTV)
An exercise conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) demonstrated the results of an amphibious landing involving robot dogs and aerial drones aimed at Taiwan.
In footage from the exercise shown in a documentary by the state broadcaster CCTV, quadruped robots loaded with explosives were deployed by the first wave of the armed forces’ landing, according to the South China Morning Post.
The footage showed the robot dogs crossing trenches, blocks, and barricades in an attempt to break through enemy defensive lines, while unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with first-person view (FPV) were also deployed.
The documentary showed specialized drone units attacking enemy firing positions alongside armed combat troops, providing fire support for the robot dogs.
Throughout the operation, reconnaissance drones monitored the battlefield and determined enemy positions, while additional robot dogs were seen acting as ammunition carriers for soldiers positioned at dispersed locations.
The documentary also showed a robot dog equipped with a machine gun on its back accompanying a team of paratroopers advancing through the jungle to infiltrate the enemy rear.
This occurred after the exercise director stated that PLA amphibious armored vehicles were damaged by defensive artillery, causing congestion on the advance route during the full amphibious landing exercise.
The integration of systems during the operation indicated that the PLA has adapted to unmanned warfare and developed significant capabilities, but the exercise results also appear to reveal the limitations of Chinese military drones.
According to the documentary, a defense soldier managed to take down a robot dog at a distance while it was moving in open water. Meanwhile, the FPV drones did not seem to weaken fortified enemy positions.
Footage of the exercise results also showed that beach defenses were only cleared after the infiltration team launched a rear attack.
The method used to try to break through—ordering soldiers to crawl under heavy fire and manually place explosive charges—resulted in “heavy casualties,” according to the landing unit commander, Ren Mengqi.
“Since the unmanned equipment had already been destroyed, we were forced to resort to the most primitive approach: using humans,” he told CCTV.
The report did not specify the time or location of the exercise, but some of the footage had previously been shown in the documentary series Forging Ahead, produced in celebration of Army Day on August 1. The production included scenes from the Strait Thunder 2025A exercise conducted in April.
Photo: CCTV. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
