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Stephen Chen

A new Chinese military special-ops drone has shown unprecedented accuracy in live-fire tests, hitting a human-sized target with every shot while using a standard infantry assault rifle.
The drone fired 20 single rounds while hovering at a height of 10 metres (3.2 feet) and a distance of 100 metres from the human-sized target, a standard 50cm by 50cm (about 20 by 20 inches) chest board.
The drone achieved a 100 per cent hit rate during flight trials, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Gun Launch and Control on December 9.
The experimental unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was developed by Wuhan Guide Infrared in collaboration with the Chinese military’s Army Special Operations Academy, the study said.
Among the 20 rounds that struck the target, half landed within an 11cm radius, comparable to a headshot. At a shorter range of 50 metres, the system hit the target 19 out of 20 times.
It was not a flaw in the system, according to the team led by Guide senior engineer Jiang Huajian.
“The missed bullet landed at the edge of the chest target, and the miss was caused by inherent ammunition error,” which meant a bad bullet, Jiang and his colleagues wrote.


Unlike earlier drones that relied on custom-built or modified firearms, this system used the same rifle carried by regular infantry soldiers.
The study suggested a significant shift towards practical, battlefield-ready technology, with advancement in stabilisation, targeting algorithms and fire control integration for small airborne platforms.
Jiang’s team redesigned the mounting system so the rifle and optical sensor were rigidly fixed together.
This minimised mechanical misalignment between the targeting camera and the weapon during flight.
The researchers also developed software that adjusted the firing angle based on distance, wind estimates and the drone’s own orientation in mid-air.
They conducted a large number of simulations on a computer to tweak the software. It more than doubled the theoretical hit rate from just over 40 per cent to nearly 100 per cent.
The existing system supports only single-shot firing, not sustained bursts.
This could be a problem when facing a swarm of enemies.
But accuracy can become more crucial in certain settings. “In urban counterterrorism or border security scenarios, one clean shot could be more valuable than a spray of bullets,” said a Beijing-based military expert who requested not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.


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Drone using a standard infantry assault rifle shows unprecedented accuracy in live-fire tests with human-sized target


Drone using a standard infantry assault rifle shows unprecedented accuracy in live-fire tests with human-sized target.


Chinese army rifle-wielding drone gets 100% hit rate in 100-metre-range shooting test

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Drone using a standard infantry assault rifle shows unprecedented accuracy in live-fire tests with human-sized target

Drone using a standard infantry assault rifle shows unprecedented accuracy in live-fire tests with human-sized target