China has created a mosquito-like micro-drone for covert missions. But U.S. experts are skeptical of its combat effectiveness.
A new development has been unveiled in China – a micro-drone, the size and appearance of which resembles a mosquito. The device was shown last month on state television channel CCTV-7: it is the size of a human fingernail and has translucent wings that look like leaves.
Business Insider reports this.
The drone was created at China's National University of Defense Technology. It is designed for covert reconnaissance missions, particularly indoor surveillance. According to Herb Lin, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Center for International Security, such a device could potentially be effective as a closed-space surveillance camera.
However, according to him, the small size of the drone significantly limits its capabilities: “Its autonomy in the air depends on the capacity of the battery. In addition, it is so light that even a slight wind or air flow can disrupt the flight.”
Samuel Bendett, an analyst at the US Center for Naval Analyses, expressed similar concerns. He noted that microdrones are particularly sensitive to weather conditions – wind, rain, snow, fog, as well as the microclimate inside buildings: “Even an air conditioner or an open window can disable such a device.”
Bendett also stressed that due to the size limitation, the device is unlikely to contain a modern communications system or quality optics, which calls into question its real effectiveness.
However, other experts see the micro-drone’s unveiling as evidence of Beijing’s technological ambitions. Michael Horowitz, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted that China has demonstrated a commitment to innovation in unmanned systems. At the same time, he noted that it is unclear how realistic the drone’s claimed capabilities are or when such technology will be implemented in combat or reconnaissance missions.
