The Chinese military’s investment in killer robotics has been highlighted again in a video showing a remote drone dropping off a rifle-equipped robot dog. In a Black Mirror-style dystopian showcase of technological prowess, the region teases that this will be the new norm of warfare.
Released by Chinese PMC social media Kestrel Defense Blood-Wing, the video shows a large drone delivering a weaponised robot to a mission. The video was posted online on October 3rd to Weibo, a Chinese social media platform similar to Twitter.
"War dogs descend from the sky!" reads a Bloomberg translation of the post. "The heavy-duty drones can deliver combat dogs, to be directly inserted behind enemy lines and spring surprise attacks on weak links. They can also be placed on the rooftops and work with troops on the ground to ambush enemies inside buildings."
In the video, the massive drone drops a hibernating robot dog off on the top of a building. After the drone departs, the dog activates, unfolding from its compressed resting state into a battle-ready robot.
On top of the robot, a large rifle can be seen facing forwards. In other videos, we’ve seen Russian robot dogs fire rifles accurately at targets with precise movement.
China is not alone in its chase for weaponised robots. For example, Russia recently recently unveiled a robot with an RPG attached to its back. American militaries have also engaged with robot dog technology.
Furthermore, china’s technological advancements don’t just revolve around robotics. The region’s military is also experimenting with enhancing real-life soldiers with machine exoskeletons to provide extra strength in the field.
Killer robotics is a dangerous topic across the world. While the United Nations has called for regulation of killer robots, countries such as the United States and Russia have fought against their restrictions.
As it stands, the dystopian technology will continue to advance in the battlefield, alongside military AI and augmented reality headsets.