Chinese Military Copies US Manned-Unmanned Teaming Drone Tactics

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The Chinese military appears to be mirroring or even fully copying manned-unmanned teaming tactics with drones and helicopters nearly identical to those used more than a decade ago by US forces in Afghanistan.

Copying Manned-Unmanned Teaming Tactics

The Chinese government-backed Global Times newspaper cites Taiwanese reports about a sighting of a small Chinese reconnaissance drone called the KVD-001 UAV operating as a relay communications “node” between helicopters.

“The KVD-001 UAV sent real-time data of the target to the controlling center. The helicopters took off and precisely and quickly locked onto their targets and conducted attacks,” the Global Times reports, citing China’s CCTV television network.

The paper described how the KVD-001 drone sent targeting data and specifics to helicopters flying below the radar at much lower altitudes, perform a critical data-relay function for manned helicopters closing in on a target.

“Helicopters, especially military helicopters, have to fly very low to conduct effective penetration. Under this circumstance, it requires UAVs to conduct reconnaissance and send data of the targets to the helicopters in order to allow the latter to conduct effective attacks It can extend the army’s aviation command communication link, provide command communication relay between the army’s aviation ground command post and air formations,” the Global Times writes.

The Chinese paper makes the point that while Taiwanese authorities were quick to point out Chinese J-11 fighter jets and Navy ships operating near the island of Taiwan, Taiwanese authorities appear to have “missed” or been unable to detect the Chinese helicopters. This is significant and something which seems to be the intent of the story, meaning that manned-unmanned teaming between drones and helicopters in real time introduces new tactical advantages.