CHINESE military chiefs have developed a killer bird drone powered by flapping wings, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.
The new weapon – known as an “ornithopter” – has been built to resemble a Eurasian tree sparrow and was revealed during a recent demonstration by Chinese special forces.
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The drone replicates the wing-flapping motion of a sparrow in flight, making it virtually indistinguishable from real birds at a distance, according to the latest edition of Soldier Magazine.
A video of the occasion shows an officer with the Peoples’ Liberation Army Sea Commandos releasing the sparrow-like drone as he resurfaced from the water.
The drone then circled in the sky for a few minutes while flapping its wings like a real bird.
Another clip shows a commando operating a larger drone, which is similar in size to a raven or hawk.
Details of how the bird-drone is powered and flies remain secret but defence sources believe drones of this size would normally use small advanced sensors allowing the operator to spy on enemy troops.
Defence sources have also claimed that this new generation of drones can also be armed with micro-warheads to strike enemy assets, especially those in cover.
The drones could also be used to assassinate enemy VIPs such as senior military commanders.
But small drones often have a limited range and endurance, making them suitable only for short-range reconnaissance.
Colonel Phil Ingram, a former Army intelligence officer told The Sun on Sunday: “These drones could revolutionise reconnaissance operations on the battlefield.
“It’s just a matter of time before we see these being used in war zones such as Ukraine and there is quite a strong likelihood that they could already be part of Russia’s drone armoury.
“They will be used to conduct short term spying missions and if they can be fitted with a small warhead or weapon they could be used to take out individual battlefield commanders.”
In 2021, the South China Morning Post uploaded a video of what it called a “robo-fish” wagging its tail underwater.
The device was not a real fish, but a drone with the potential for underwater surveillance.
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