China’s First Of Its Kind Submarine-Launched Drone Builds On A US Idea

A few months ago, reports of China’s new submarine-launched drone hit the internet as the region seemingly turned the tables on the US. Ahead of the news of these drones, the US was reportedly planning to develop a similar drone for use against China in the event of warfare.

China Might Have Beat The US To It With Their Submarine-launched Drone

According to reports on this matter, the US was reportedly planning to develop a new type of drone for attacking China in the event of war. The operation of this drone revolves around the element of surprise, and it sits under the water in submarines.

This submarine will be lying in wait near the Chinese coast, carrying these drones. In the event of war, the submarine will then release the drone that will emerge from under the water, launching a surprise attack on China.

The Feiyi Drone: What’s Special About It?

An impressive plan indeed, but in a surprising turn of events, China beat the US to develop a similar type of drone system. A new drone from China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University (NWPU) and the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre (CARDC) is now boasting this unique ability.

This drone, which goes by the name Feiyi, is the world’s first drone that can be launched by an underwater submarine. Once launched, Feiyi will rely on its unique foldable wing design to “move across water-air media multiple times in a single journey.”

By doing this, Feiyi will remain undetected by forces on land, hence increasing the chances of a successful surprise attack. The team behind this submarine-launched drone project says that “It combines the advantages of efficient underwater navigation and high agility in the air.”

They add that “There will be great application potential in military fields such as marine reconnaissance, surveillance, strike and attack.” We might get to see China demonstrate the usage of this drone in real-time.

China Keeps Breaking Boundaries In The Drone Industry

Globally, the robotics and drone industry is growing at a fast pace, with various firms introducing intriguing designs. However, China has proved to be a world leader in the robotics and drone industry as it continuously rolls out new entries.

Some of its prowess in the robotics and drone industry is geared towards the advancement of the region’s military force. Just like this submarine-launched drone, China is constantly trying out new technology that it can integrate into its military.

We even see these advancements in space, as a few weeks ago, reports of Chinese satellites engaging in satellite dogfighting shocked the internet. Over the coming years, we expect to see more advancement in the Chinese robotics and drone industry from military and commercial applications.