Portable drones to help Chinese troops to detect enemy behind walls

The Chinese army has added portable reconnaissance drones to its arsenal that will provide a significant tactical advantage to the troops while shooting enemies hiding behind walls, official media reported on Wednesday. China's 2.3 million-strong People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the world's largest military force and constitutes the second-largest defense budget in the world. China is one of the fastest modernizing military powers in the world.

A scout battalion of the PLA 80th Group Army is now operating the drones, as they have been deployed in recent training, state-run Global Times quoted China Central Television (CCTV) as reporting. This type of drone can be used in a two-person-sniper group - one shooter who concentrates on aiming, and one spotter who provide extra information on the target.

The small drone, which resembles a commercial quadcopter, can be carried in a backpack and easily deployed on the battlefield. When an enemy hides behind a wall, the spotter can release the drone and fly it with a controller, which has a large monitor on it, the report said.

The drone can provide details of the wall to enable the shooter to choose where to hit. Equipped with an anti-material sniper rifle powerful enough to shoot through walls, the shooter will then blow the target away together with the wall, it said. Bu Minghui, a scout at the 80th Group Army, said it was challenging to identify the target and requires a very high tactic level between the two.

This tactic is very advantageous on the battlefield, especially in urban warfare and counter-terrorism operations, a military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting the usage of drones results in information asymmetry.