Latest news with #NationalUniversityofDefenceTechnology
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First Post
a day ago
- Science
- First Post
What we know about China's mosquito-sized drone that could change warfare
China's National University of Defence Technology has revealed a mosquito-sized drone for covert missions, boasting tiny wings and hair-thin legs. Built for reconnaissance and surveillance, it reflects China's growing military focus on micro-robotics. Globally, similar micro-UAVs are also being developed, with applications ranging from warfare to environmental monitoring and medicine read more The drone was revealed by the National University of Defense Technology in central China's Hunan province. Representational Image/AI-generated via Firstpost A major breakthrough in micro-robotics has emerged from China's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), where researchers have introduced a drone no larger than a mosquito. Designed primarily for stealth military missions, this micro-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was showcased on CCTV 7, China's national military television channel. During a televised segment, a student from the institution affiliated with the Central Military Commission displayed the device and explained its intended purpose. 'Here in my hand is a mosquito-like type of robot. Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield,' said Liang Hexiang while holding the device between his fingers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ⚡️The Chinese military has shown a microscopic drone the size of a mosquito, — South China Morning Post. The developers believe that such a drone is almost impossible to notice, so it is ideal for reconnaissance, and a small portable device is enough to control it. According… — Moshiach is near (@laaccionex) June 21, 2025 The drone's build includes a slender, stick-like central body, flanked by two small, wing-like extensions shaped like leaves. It also features three extremely thin limbs resembling insect legs, contributing to its biomimetic design. This minuscule UAV is one among several robotic prototypes unveiled by the NUDT, reflecting China's strategic interest in developing next-generation, biologically inspired machines for use in sensitive operational contexts. How China's mosquito-sized drone works This insect-sized flying robot is part of a broader project at NUDT that includes various robotic systems. The exhibition of innovations included not only insect-scale drones but also humanoid robots, indicating a wide spectrum of research and development. One version shown during the broadcast was a four-winged drone model that can be operated using a smartphone, signalling an emphasis on field adaptability and user control. Though tiny in stature, the drone's internal architecture demands highly sophisticated engineering. Essential systems — such as power units, communication hardware, sensor packages and control electronics — must be incorporated into a space no larger than a small insect. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The assembly of these miniature components involves collaborative work across several disciplines, including microsystems engineering, advanced materials science and bio-inspired design. These miniature drones are being crafted to undertake reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering tasks in areas where traditional UAVs might be too large or conspicuous. Their small form factor allows them to blend into the environment, potentially evading detection and functioning as tactical surveillance tools in complex urban or battlefield scenarios. Apart from this project, Chinese engineers have also developed artillery-launched UAVs, which are engineered to survive intense acceleration and force during launch from 155mm cannon shells. These devices can withstand pressures up to 3,000 times their own weight, making them robust enough to be deployed in high-impact settings. How the rest of the world compares While China's mosquito-like robot is drawing attention now, several countries have already been exploring and deploying microdrones in military operations. One of the most prominent examples is Norway's 'Black Hornet,' developed by Teledyne FLIR Defence. This palm-sized, helicopter-style micro-UAV is currently in service with a number of armed forces around the globe. Its compact structure allows soldiers to use it for close-range surveillance while staying out of sight themselves. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The latest version, the Black Hornet 4, has earned accolades for its upgrades. Teledyne FLIR Defence received the 2025 Blue UAS Refresh award from the US Department of Defence, a recognition granted to advanced unmanned systems, reported Interesting Engineering. Improvements in this model include longer battery life, better resistance to harsh weather and wind, and increased communication range — challenges that typically confront designers of small drones. Operated via a small handheld console, the Black Hornet transmits real-time imagery and sensory data, enabling secure situational analysis on the ground. Harvard University has also entered the field with its RoboBee platform. Initially developed by the Wyss Institute, RoboBee shares many characteristics with the mosquito-sized UAV recently revealed in China. Some versions of RoboBee are capable of transitioning from aquatic environments to flight, or perching on surfaces using static electricity. The project aims to produce fully autonomous aerial micro-robots suitable for various applications, from surveillance to environmental assessments. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, the US Air Force disclosed in 2021 that it was developing its own version of tiny drones. However, since the initial announcement, there has been little information released regarding the maturity or field deployment of this technology. How drones can be used beyond the military Although current developments in China, the US and Norway display defence-related applications, the potential for microdrones extends well beyond warfare. In the medical sector, micro- and nano-robotics are being investigated for their utility in minimally invasive procedures, diagnostics, and even surgical tasks. Researchers envision that future generations of these devices could navigate the human body to deliver drugs or conduct internal imaging with unprecedented precision. In agriculture, environmental protection, and disaster response, micro-UAVs could be game changers. Their ability to monitor atmospheric pollution, examine crop health, and access hazardous areas following natural disasters opens up new operational avenues for governments, researchers, and emergency services. The convergence of biology, robotics, and advanced computing in this sector is enabling the production of increasingly autonomous and intelligent microbots. Their versatility may revolutionise not just how wars are fought, but how crops are grown, diseases are treated, and ecosystems are monitored. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The future of robotics may not be dominated by large machines but by ones too small to see — hovering in the air, floating in water or even navigating the bloodstream. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Science
- Business Standard
China builds laser weapon that works in Arctic cold and desert heat
Chinese scientists have developed a high-powered laser system that can function reliably across some of the Earth's harshest temperature conditions—ranging from -50 degrees Celsius in Arctic regions to 50 degrees Celsius in desert environments such as the Sahara—without the need for heating or cooling systems. According to a report by South China Morning Post, the 2-kilowatt fibre laser was designed by a team led by Chen Jinbao, vice-president of the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), a prominent figure in high-energy laser research. The laser's compact and portable design marks a sharp departure from existing systems with similar power outputs, such as the European HELMA-P or India's IDDIS, which rely on bulky container-sized cooling infrastructure and truck-mounted platforms. Breakthrough in temperature-resilient laser tech 'Our team has achieved a technological breakthrough in the performance of wide-temperature operating fibre lasers,' Chen and his colleagues wrote in a peer-reviewed paper to be published in July in the Chinese-language journal Higher Power Laser and Particle Beams. The system's resilience stems from several design innovations. These include the use of 940-nanometre pump lasers that exhibit minimal thermal drift and the configuration of nine forward and 18 backward fibre-coupled diode lasers for light injection. Crucially, pump combiners were placed outside the resonator chamber to protect heat-sensitive components, and ytterbium-doped fibre was coiled at 8cm diameters to suppress unwanted parasitic lightwaves. At the heart of the laser lies a dual-clad optical resonator, with highly reflective gratings at both ends enclosing ytterbium-doped fibres. When pumped, ytterbium ions emit photons that are amplified into a powerful 1,080nm beam, filtered and collimated through quartz end-caps. Lab tests confirm consistent high performance In simulations mimicking rapid shifts between freezing and scorching environments, the laser consistently delivered over 2kW in output, peaking at 2.47kW at 20 degrees Celsius. It achieved a power efficiency of 71 per cent with near-perfect beam quality. Ytterbium, a rare earth element largely sourced from China, played a pivotal role in this achievement. Its quantum properties enable efficient energy conversion while resisting performance degradation at high temperatures—a phenomenon known as thermal quenching. Compact system suited for rapid deployment Chen's team stressed the need for wide-temperature capability as laser systems find expanding applications beyond controlled indoor settings. 'To ensure stable output, all standard fibre lasers require integrated cooling systems to maintain temperature control for internal components and optical paths, resulting in a narrow operating temperature range typically centred around room temperature,' the researchers noted. By contrast, the NUDT prototype approaches suitcase-scale portability, a stark contrast to shipping container-sized alternatives in use globally. This makes it particularly suitable for quick deployment in remote, mobile, or conflict-prone environments where temperature extremes are common. Applications across defence and industry 'Fibre lasers offer high efficiency, low cost and compact size, enabling widespread deployment across industrial processing, optoelectronic countermeasures, precision cutting and other fields,' the researchers wrote. They added that future work will focus on pushing the output power higher and broadening the laser's effective operating temperature range. The development signals a significant advance in China's laser weapon capabilities, with implications for both defence and industrial technologies.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China to convert ground-launched artillery into gliders to hit aerial targets, planes
Reports have emerged that China is actively converting its ground-launched rocket artillery into low-cost, air-targeting precision gliders. If successful, this could rewrite the history of how cheap munitions could be used against aerial threats. Led by Professor Zhang Shifeng at the National University of Defence Technology in Changsha, China, the research team has developed a prototype called Tianxing-1 ('Sky Star-1'). This consists of a modified rocket artillery round with lift-generating wings and adjustable tail fins. Rocket artillery, like America's Global Mobile Artillery Rocket System, launches rockets rather than conventional shells. Unlike traditional tube artillery, which relies on explosive charges to fire projectiles, rocket artillery uses self-propelled munitions that do not require a barrel. Typically mounted on mobile platforms, rocket artillery systems can deliver rapid, high-volume barrages over a wide area, making them ideal for saturating enemy positions. While generally less accurate than guided missiles, modern systems increasingly feature GPS or inertial guidance to improve precision. Rocket artillery is valued for its mobility, speed of deployment, and ability to overwhelm defenses with concentrated firepower. Interestingly, it is also one of the oldest forms of artillery, with specimens dating back to the early medieval period in China. Modern bona fide rocket artillery, on the other hand, first appeared during World War II, with the German Nebelwerfer family of rocket ordnance designs first used in battle. Other examples from the time include the Soviet Katyusha series and numerous other systems employed on a smaller scale by the Western Allies and Japan. According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the new Chinese Tianxing-1 transitions into a glider, adjusting its course mid-air to hit stationary aerial targets using passive flight (it doesn't have an engine after the boost phase). The munition is particularly fast, traveling at subsonic speeds (~656 feet-per-second or 200 m/s). Moreover, it uses a new guidance algorithm that reduces targeting error from 50m to less than 1m. The new rocket is capable of multi-angle attacks, but is not yet suitable for engaging moving targets or fast aircraft. While it's too slow to chase jets or drones, the Tianxing-1 could be deployed in large numbers as a cheap area denial or aerial ambush system, particularly against slower or hovering targets like helicopters or loitering drones. Reports also suggest that the new system could, in theory, change how armies think about anti-air warfare, opting for a middle ground between expensive surface-to-air missiles and dumb artillery. As impressive as the development sounds, it is important to note that the Tianxing-1 is designed as more of a training or a tech demo tool rather than a deployable weapon. However, it successor, Tianxing-2, has reportedly completed successful tests with more advanced targeting systems in northwestern China as per SCMP. Details of the team's work were published in the April issue of the Chinese Journal of National University of Defence Technology. The study highlights the challenges of guiding unpowered, low-speed gliders to hit "targets in the air." If perfected and deployed in swarms, this could add a new layer to anti-air defences, especially in scenarios where cost, saturation, and surprise matter more than speed or raw firepower.
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese defence scientists seek to turn old rocket artillery into plane-killing glider
The Chinese military marked the world's first recorded use of rockets in combat nearly eight centuries ago, when they deployed fire arrows and possibly gunpowder-launched grenades against Mongol invaders in the Battle of Kaifung-fu in 1232, according to Nasa. Today, Chinese scientists and engineers are pursuing technological upgrades to transform the affordable, mass-producible traditional rocket artillery into a system capable of striking aerial targets. A research team led by professor Zhang Shifeng at the National University of Defence Technology's College of Aerospace Science and Engineering has developed a small rocket named Tianxing-1 or 'Sky Star-1'. Unlike conventional rocket artillery, this guided munition features lift-enhancing wings and adjustable tail fins for extended range and powerless-flight manoeuvrability. Launched at an angle from ground-based platforms, the rocket rises to a designated altitude before transitioning into a glide phase, where it autonomously adjusts its trajectory to engage targets. The Tianxing-1 operates on principles similar to hypersonic glide missiles, but travels at a far slower pace. Its maximum speed of 200 metres (656 feet) per second, or just over half the speed of sound, may see it struggle to chase high-speed aircraft or drones.
South China Morning Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China hosts delegation of 100 African military officers to strengthen defence ties
China is hosting nearly 100 young and mid-career African military officers from 40 countries as part of its long-term strategy to deepen defence ties across the continent. Advertisement The delegation, including officers from Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania, will stay until May 15 and visit top military academies in Beijing, Changsha and Shaoshan to learn about China's military systems and modern technologies , according to China's Ministry of National Defence. Observers say that by picking young and mid-level military officers, China is building lasting relations and influence as the delegation represents the future leadership of their nations' armed forces. According to Sun Yun, director of the China programme at the Stimson Centre think tank in Washington, the fact that the delegation – which is very large, geographically expansive and composed of relatively junior and mid-career officers – is particularly important because they 'represent the future pillar of military leadership in African countries'. The delegation, including officers from Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania, will stay till May 15. Photo: The National University of Defence Technology This is the fourth time the Chinese defence ministry has organised such an event, with the National University of Defence Technology in Changsha, Hunan province, playing host.
