China has released new footage briefly showing a series of military robots. They include armed robot dogs, bird-like drones that are almost indistinguishable from real animals, and autonomous vehicles that can both drive and sail. The clip is short, but the message is clear: robotisation is no longer an experiment, but a strategic direction.
What stands out is not one specific system, but the breadth of what is shown. From walking platforms to flying and sailing unmanned systems. It shows how seriously China is betting on a battlefield in which machines play an ever larger role.
Armed robot dogs as a forward unit
The most eye-catching footage shows robot dogs fitted with machine guns and in some cases light rocket systems. These four-legged robots can move over rubble, stairs and uneven terrain. It is precisely that kind of terrain that is dangerous for infantry in urban combat.
Technically, such a system revolves around stabilisation, sensors and data links. The robot must keep its balance while moving, detect targets with cameras and thermal imaging, and receive orders from a remote operator. In some cases navigation can be partly autonomous.
The advantage is clear. Instead of sending a soldier into a building, a robot can go in first. It can reconnoitre, detect threats and if necessary open fire. It lowers the risk to personnel and extends a unit’s reach.
In China, these systems have already been shown publicly, as in the article Robot dogs already a reality? In China they are! That underlines that this is not only about prototypes, but about technology that is being actively presented.
Robot birds and invisible observation
At least as interesting are the bird-like drones (see video above). These are so-called biomimetic systems that imitate the appearance and flight of real birds. From a distance they are hard to distinguish from, for example, a gull or a crow.
The military value lies in observation. A small drone flying high above a city or coastline normally stands out. A robot bird that behaves like a real bird much less so. With modern miniature sensors and light batteries, these systems can still transmit high-quality images.
It shows how technology is becoming not only more powerful, but also more subtle.
Autonomous vehicles on land and water
In addition to walking and flying systems, China also shows unmanned vehicles that drive over land and sail on water. Platforms like these can be used to transport ammunition, for reconnaissance or as mobile weapon carriers.
Autonomy plays a key role here. Where each vehicle used to be controlled separately, we now see systems that can follow routes on their own, avoid obstacles and even operate in groups. The human shifts from driver to supervisor.
That is a fundamental change. The soldier on the battlefield is increasingly an operator behind a screen, controlling several systems at once.
Ukraine as an accelerator of the trend
The war in Ukraine has accelerated this development. Drones dominate the battlefield. Small reconnaissance drones designate targets for artillery. Attack drones and loitering munitions knock out vehicles at relatively low cost.
Autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles are also increasingly being produced in series. What was once a high-tech niche is now mass production. That changes the balance between human and machine.
The classic infantryman with only a rifle has become rare. Instead, we see soldiers with tablets, antennas and drone controls. Technology is becoming the multiplier of combat power.
The Netherlands tries to keep up
The Netherlands also sees this shift. The article The Netherlands steps into the future: its own drones for the new generation air force describes how the Netherlands is joining the Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme of the United States. That programme focuses on unmanned aircraft that operate alongside manned fighter jets as so-called loyal wingmen.
The idea is that an unmanned drone flies alongside an F-35, carries out reconnaissance, locates radar positions or even operates armed. The pilot remains central, but gets extra digital wings.
On the ground, the Netherlands works with unmanned vehicles such as the THeMIS. This tracked platform can be fitted with sensors or weapons and supports infantry in high-risk areas.
In addition, Dutch companies are investing in their own drones, radars and counter-drone solutions. The aim is clear: less dependence on foreign suppliers and more control over critical technology.
An irreversible development
What China is now showing in a short video is part of a broader global shift. Robots are no longer seen as a futuristic add-on, but as an integral part of military planning.
The soldier is not disappearing from the battlefield, but his or her role is changing. Soldiers increasingly become system managers, drone operators and data analysts. Machines take the first risks, people make the decisions.
Whoever best organises this combination of human and machine will have a decisive advantage in future conflicts.
