Drones widely deployed in Chinese militia units during exercises

Multiple types of drones were deployed in recent exercises by multiple militia units across China, as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) become a key part of various Chinese military and police services and branches, observers said on Monday.

In a move to better integrate UAVs into the nation's militia forces, multiple militia units across the country have used drones during exercises, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

During a recent militia exercise held in East China's Jiangxi Province simulating a combat mission, a militia detachment focused on practicing joint operations and dealing with emergency situations, including training courses such as supplies loading and reconnaissance using drones, according to the report.

A recent military event in Southwest China's Guizhou Province organized a tactical deployment exercise and an emergency rescue exercise using drones, as militia units used drones and demolition robots to conduct search and rescues across a mock rescue area to identify and rescue trapped personnel.

In East China's Anhui Province, militia troops recently carried out a real-world troop confrontation exercise. They mobilized across regions and provided emergency communications support to a brigade of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) using various new equipment, including drones.

"We closely focused on fields including specialists, cutting-edge technologies and advanced equipment throughout the exercise, running drills that include the public to hone combat capabilities," Bo Tao, a militia officer who participated in the exercise in Anhui, said in the CCTV report.

According to CCTV, drones featured in these militia exercises are mostly multirotor, vertical takeoff and landing UAVs of different sizes. Observers said that smaller ones can be operated by individual soldiers for reconnaissance missions, while larger ones can be helpful with transport or communications relay missions.

With drones demonstrating reconnaissance and combat applications in recent conflicts around the world, and China having complete industrial chains of developing and producing drones, military and police services and branches including militia have started to use them, practice with them and develop tactics with them, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday.

The PLA have deployed drones and robot dogs in multiple joint exercises with foreign countries this year, while the Chinese police also used these unmanned gears in a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation joint anti-terrorism drill last month.

According to the expert, drones are increasingly becoming standard equipment for infantry units, much like their firearms.