The Chinese have astonished the world with their technology prowess once again by developing a tactical military drone the size of an insect.
The reconnaissance mosquito was created by researchers in a robotics lab at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in Central China. It was revealed to the public on state broadcaster CCTV’s military channel last weekend.
“Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield,” said student Liang Hexiang while giving reporters a glimpse of the minuscule but technologically impressive creation.
The drone’s potential for surveillance applications is awe-inspiring. It’s discrete, relatively silent and can slip through small gaps to enable its operators to view places that would otherwise be inaccessible.
“Honestly, it’s amazing engineering and a bit unsettling that defence is the first use-case,” commented Silicon Valley venture capital fund Grishin Robotics. “I’d love to see the same tech mapping pipes, pollinating crops, or inspecting reactors instead of playing hide-and-seek on a battlefield.”
Mosquito recon drone for the PLA.
Our military can leverage China’s advanced consumer electronics sector, to rapidly prototype and test new ideas efficiently.
When a solution to a problem is found, then rapid mass production.
This is the core essence of military-civil fusion.… pic.twitter.com/ZBC5GkeAmh
— Zhao DaShuai 东北进修🇨🇳 (@zhao_dashuai) June 21, 2025
Read more: Redwire expands repertoire by acquiring advanced drone developer Edge Autonomy
Product of China’s top military school
The NUDT has made a variety of significant contributions to China’s defence capabilities.
Aside from the institution’s new micro-unmanned-aerial-vehicle gadget, the school has conducted extensive research on artificial intelligence integrated UAVs. Additionally, drone swarm technologies focused on coordinated groups of airborne devices for tactical applications.
Furthermore, the NUDT has been involved with the development of magnetic levitation and propulsion technologies and nuclear weapons.
Between 2013 to 2016 a supercomputer developed by the school, Tianhe-2, was recognized as the fastest in the world. The military academy was also instrumental in creating the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, which has been utilized by the People’s Liberation Army for multiple purposes.
The university was established in 1953 and directly overseen by Mao Zedong. Many of its studies have been, and will continue to be, classified.
Read more: Tennessee man handed sentence for delivering cannabis to prison inmate with drone
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