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 defence budget in the world. China is one of the fastest modernising 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 drone results in an information asymmetry.