https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/326765/feed The latest news, analysis and opinion on drones, especially Chinese drone makers and drone usage. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Associated Press Associated Press Russian strikes killed at least 20 people in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel that Kyiv warned would help bankroll Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Three children were among those killed when Russian aerial bombs hit residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Saturday. At least 18 people were wounded in the attack. Missiles also struck Kyiv in a daytime... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370451/russian-attacks-kill-15-ukraine-after-trump-strikes-diesel-deal-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3370451/russian-attacks-kill-15-ukraine-after-trump-strikes-diesel-deal-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 12:25:26 +0000 Mustafa Bilal Mustafa Bilal In December 2022, a Chinese J-11 fighter came within metres of a US RC-135 surveillance plane over the South China Sea, according to the US military, which criticised it as an unsafe manoeuvre. China, however, held the American crew responsible and claimed the RC-135 had suddenly veered towards the Chinese jet despite repeated warnings. Both sides released video footage, yet neither accepted the other’s account of the incident. This and other such close encounters involved human pilots. The next... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369855/us-and-china-must-set-rules-autonomous-fighters-cross-paths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3369855/us-and-china-must-set-rules-autonomous-fighters-cross-paths?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse At least 24 people were killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine on Wednesday, including four young children who died when a missile slammed into a residential block in the north of the country as they slept. Windows shattered in the powerful blast in Pryluky, in the Chernihiv region, reducing one half of the five-storey building into a smoking pile of charred concrete and twisted metal. President Volodymyr Zelensky said three of the 18 victims of the strike were just 12 months old while another... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369997/russian-barrage-hits-kyiv-hours-after-zelensky-warns-impending-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369997/russian-barrage-hits-kyiv-hours-after-zelensky-warns-impending-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 06:04:10 +0000 Agencies Agencies A massive attack involving 650 drones targeted Moscow overnight, leaving at least two dead, Russian authorities said on Tuesday. Most of the drones were destroyed by air defences at long range, including 105 intercepted as they approached the capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. Russian state news agency Tass reported it was the second-largest drone attack on the capital region in the past two years. The dead included a 71-year-old man pulled from under the rubble ‌of a house... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3369888/ukraine-attacks-moscow-region-650-drones-both-sides-step-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3369888/ukraine-attacks-moscow-region-650-drones-both-sides-step-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 06:44:01 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong aviation authorities are investigating suspected illegal drone flying over Victoria Harbour during last week’s National Day fireworks display, after privately shot footage of the show went viral online. The footage drew the attention of local internet users after a mainland visitor, who came to Hong Kong during the “golden week” holiday, posted clips of the 23-minute display on his social media account over the weekend. The man, who calls himself Su Fan on RedNote, a popular platform... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369827/authorities-investigate-viral-drone-footage-during-national-day-fireworks-display?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3369827/authorities-investigate-viral-drone-footage-during-national-day-fireworks-display?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:48:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday ⁠he believed Russia ⁠may have shared jet-drone technology ⁠with its long-standing ally North Korea. In recent weeks, Russia has sharply increased its use of jet-drones against Ukraine, which so far has no effective means of countering them other than using ‌combat aircraft. Earlier in the war, North Korea supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells and it has since provided ballistic missiles that Moscow regularly uses to attack... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3369727/ukraine-believes-russia-shared-jet-drone-technology-north-korea-says-zelensky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3369727/ukraine-believes-russia-shared-jet-drone-technology-north-korea-says-zelensky?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 16:45:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia struck a bridge in Kyiv on Sunday soon after Germany’s chancellor arrived in Ukraine’s capital on a surprise visit to demonstrate European support in the face of an upsurge in attacks. Air raid sirens blared across Kyiv, urging residents to shelter soon after Friedrich Merz arrived under tight security, with warnings of approaching Russian attack drones. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko then confirmed that a strike had damaged the road surface on the Northern Bridge – one of several connecting... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369698/russia-strikes-kyiv-bridge-germanys-merz-visits-pledges-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369698/russia-strikes-kyiv-bridge-germanys-merz-visits-pledges-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:55:12 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China has set up several new institutions at military academies to train specialists in hi-tech and discipline inspection as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) works towards its centennial modernisation goals. The College of Unmanned and Intelligent Engineering, the College of Combat Support NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers) and the College of Equipment Support NCOs were established within the PLA Army Engineering University on Wednesday. On the same day, the National Defence University (NDU),... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369575/chinas-pla-sets-new-military-academy-colleges-ai-drones-and-discipline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369575/chinas-pla-sets-new-military-academy-colleges-ai-drones-and-discipline?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Chinese and US firms are “neck-and-neck” in the quality battle for the next generation of drone patents, despite China having a lead in volume, a study published on Thursday shows. Chinese companies accounted for 44 per cent of the world’s drone patent filings in 2024, against 17 per cent for American firms, according to a report published by LexisNexis. Measured by value, however, US drone patents were on a par with China’s, leaving the two countries roughly even in total global patent asset... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3369466/china-leads-drone-patent-volume-us-matches-quality-start-ups-drive-innovation-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3369466/china-leads-drone-patent-volume-us-matches-quality-start-ups-drive-innovation-study?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia’s new class of jet-powered drones rip across the night sky in Kyiv at hundreds of kilometres per hour, leaving Ukrainian air-defence units only moments to intercept them. It’s rarely enough time. With many of the drones getting through to the capital, defence manufacturers are scrambling to develop a new generation of interceptors to counter the deadly threat. They are building their own jet propulsion systems and training artificial intelligence to help guide the chase. They need to move... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369434/ukraine-scrambles-russias-jet-drones-breach-kyivs-defences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369434/ukraine-scrambles-russias-jet-drones-breach-kyivs-defences?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:09:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Estonian authorities said on Tuesday they had concluded that an arson attack in mid-August on a defence company that provides military vehicles to Ukraine was an act of sabotage commissioned by Russian security services. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that “such actions are absolutely unacceptable” and that Russia’s charge d’affaires in Tallinn was being summoned to his ministry. A fire broke out overnight on August 15 at a building in Estonia’s capital used by Milrem Robotics, but was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369227/estonia-blames-russia-arson-attack-company-supplying-vehicles-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369227/estonia-blames-russia-arson-attack-company-supplying-vehicles-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:07:37 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday boosting the size of the army by 15,500 troops in the fourth such order this year. Putin’s order comes as both Russia and Ukraine suffer mounting casualties in the more than 4½-year Ukraine war. The decree did not give a reason for the troop increase. “The authorised personnel strength of the Russian armed forces is to be set at 2,441,630 units, including 1,550,500 military personnel,” the decree said. Putin had previously signed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3369112/putin-signs-decree-adding-15500-troops-russian-army?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3369112/putin-signs-decree-adding-15500-troops-russian-army?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:08:28 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat The United States is considering restrictions on some previously approved foreign-made drones, a move that could expand its push to build a domestic industry in a commercial market long dominated by Chinese manufacturers such as DJI. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering whether to prohibit the continued marketing and import of certain previously authorised models, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said. Speaking in a discussion with Lisa Ellman, CEO of the Commercial Drone... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369087/us-weighs-tighter-restrictions-foreign-drones-could-chinese-makers-lose-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369087/us-weighs-tighter-restrictions-foreign-drones-could-chinese-makers-lose-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:00:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian drones set ablaze a market outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Sunday, killing two people, while three others died in strikes by Moscow’s forces in different regions and Kyiv itself also came under attack, ‌local officials said. Ukrainian prosecutors said the drone attack hit a market in Sofiiska Borshchahivka on the western outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people and injuring about 10. Pictures posted online showed installations and vehicles on fire, with debris strewn on the ground. In... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368982/russian-drones-kill-2-market-outside-kyiv-3-others-different-regions-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368982/russian-drones-kill-2-market-outside-kyiv-3-others-different-regions-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:12:11 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China’s military medical experts are making progress in finding cures for common injuries seen in drone warfare, drawing on lessons from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Chen Juxiang, a senior Chinese military doctor, told CCTV on Monday that cranio-maxillofacial injuries – damage to the hard and soft tissues of the head – had become a particularly big problem in conflicts dominated by drones. Chen, director of neurosurgery at the First Affiliated... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368392/learning-ukraine-war-chinese-military-doctors-target-injuries-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368392/learning-ukraine-war-chinese-military-doctors-target-injuries-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Sep 2026 15:00:05 +0000 Emma Ma,Mia Nurmamat Emma Ma,Mia Nurmamat A major Chinese tech hub is moving to pull the plug on dedicated funding for its low-altitude economy, making it the first city in the country to propose repealing a full financial support package for the sector. The proposal in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, comes after the deadly crash of a small aircraft into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper in June. Still, some analysts contend that the reversal does not signal broader policy tightening for the low-altitude economy, but rather a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3368273/china-first-low-altitude-sector-hits-turbulence-subsidies-face-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3368273/china-first-low-altitude-sector-hits-turbulence-subsidies-face-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party won a record supermajority in the Duma, authorities announced on Monday, after a tightly controlled three-day election without parties critical of the Kremlin or the war in Ukraine. Electoral chief Ella Pamfilova said preliminary results showed United Russia – which has dominated Russian politics for 25 years – won 355 of the Duma’s 450 seats. The result handed Putin’s party an increased supermajority and beat its previous record of 343 seats. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368177/russia-vows-revenge-ukraines-election-day-attacks-poll-shows-win-ruling-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3368177/russia-vows-revenge-ukraines-election-day-attacks-poll-shows-win-ruling-party?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 19:23:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a “top grade military complex” able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition. It is one more example of how Trump is insisting that his initiatives to beautify the White House and the city are also serving a defensive purpose. Trump has been calling the new White House ballroom a “military complex” and arguing it is necessary for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368169/trumps-arch-would-be-military-complex-hosting-drones-snipers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368169/trumps-arch-would-be-military-complex-hosting-drones-snipers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2026 13:59:48 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese action camera maker Insta360 is deepening its US footprint with a flagship store opening in New York as it navigates escalating price competition with DJI and industry-wide memory cost pressures. The Chinese GoPro rival was slated to plant its flag in the heart of Times Square with its first flagship retail store in the US on Saturday, a marquee launch as the firm looked to “leap to the next stage of growth”, co-founder Max Richter said. “The US market plays a very important role for us... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3368101/chinas-gopro-rival-insta360-opens-first-us-flagship-store-new-yorks-times-square?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/tech-trends/article/3368101/chinas-gopro-rival-insta360-opens-first-us-flagship-store-new-yorks-times-square?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 12:00:07 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez An unusual vessel taking shape at a Shanghai shipyard has been assessed as a possible mothership for China’s large uncrewed submarines – a capability that, if confirmed, could enable Beijing to operate the drones far from its own coast for sustained periods. Open-source naval analyst H.I. Sutton said satellite imagery of the roughly 200-metre (656-foot) hull at Hudong-Zhonghua showed a large internal hangar and an opening at the stern that appeared designed to launch and recover... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368012/could-mystery-shanghai-vessel-be-mothership-chinas-underwater-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368012/could-mystery-shanghai-vessel-be-mothership-chinas-underwater-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indonesia welcomed its first aircraft carrier on Friday, a former Italian warship that the government says will strengthen the archipelago nation’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities. The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, with capacity for short take-off and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters, was welcomed with a military ceremony upon its arrival at a naval base in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok seaport. Rome in March agreed to give the carrier, which was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3367983/pride-or-practicality-indonesia-receives-first-aircraft-carrier-amid-fears-upkeep-cost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3367983/pride-or-practicality-indonesia-receives-first-aircraft-carrier-amid-fears-upkeep-cost?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:36:04 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Saudi Arabia faces a “humiliating dilemma” after the United States refused to militarily intervene to prevent the Iran-aligned Houthi militia from tightening its blockade of the kingdom’s key backup maritime trade route with Asia, according to analysts. US President Donald Trump on September 12 dismissed the Houthi seizure of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast as a problem that “only affects one country”. Iran has already blockaded the Straits of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia’s main oil and petrochemicals... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367944/saudi-scrambles-solve-humiliating-dilemma-after-us-rejects-red-sea-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367944/saudi-scrambles-solve-humiliating-dilemma-after-us-rejects-red-sea-intervention?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russia is increasingly mobilising North Korean workers to build military drones for use against Ukraine in defiance of international sanctions, giving Pyongyang a key source of revenue to fund its unlawful weapons programmes, according to a report by the US and its allies. Up to 25,000 North Koreans were believed to be working in Russia’s drone industry, including at facilities in Alabuga, Tatarstan, where unmanned aerial vehicles were assembled, the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team said... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367833/russia-employs-north-koreans-build-drones-ukraine-war-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367833/russia-employs-north-koreans-build-drones-ukraine-war-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:37:36 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao In talks with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday, China’s foreign minister reaffirmed Beijing’s support for Tehran, called for a political settlement to the country’s conflict with the US and warned that regional tensions must not further spill over into Yemen. Wang Yi also urged the earliest possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Abbas Araghchi’s trip to China, his second since the US launched large-scale strikes on Iran in late February, came as Washington expanded sanctions... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367738/china-affirms-support-iran-warns-against-yemen-spillover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367738/china-affirms-support-iran-warns-against-yemen-spillover?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US military said on Tuesday that it opened fire and destroyed two small Iranian boats this week that were trying to steal a drone ship in the waters off Iran, the latest back-and-forth fire in the stalemated war. Captain Tim Hawkins, US Central Command spokesman, said the Iranian boats “recently attempted to take possession of a US unmanned surface vessel” but failed after the military “forcefully responded”. Iranian state media reported on Monday that a pair of fishing boats came under... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367647/us-military-says-it-destroyed-2-iranian-boats-trying-steal-sea-drone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367647/us-military-says-it-destroyed-2-iranian-boats-trying-steal-sea-drone?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 23:26:41 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Another Chinese national dies in US immigration custody, raising profiling fears The Chinese-American community expressed anger and concern on September 3 over the death of a Chinese national in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on US territory. Read the full story here. 2. US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367373/ice-death-strikes-china-proposed-over-ai-huawei-trial-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3367373/ice-death-strikes-china-proposed-over-ai-huawei-trial-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Ukraine was ready to de-escalate the war with Russia if its rival did the same, after US President Donald Trump announced that the foes had agreed to end strikes on energy targets. With international oil prices climbing again, Trump had at the weekend berated Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries, blaming them for causing a shortage in diesel fuel. In one of his surprise social media posts, the US leader announced on Monday that “Ukraine has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3367517/zelensky-says-ukraine-ready-de-escalatory-steps-if-russia-does-same?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3367517/zelensky-says-ukraine-ready-de-escalatory-steps-if-russia-does-same?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 23:14:31 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Shanghai’s bustling riverfront has become the latest testing ground for urban logistics technology, with McDonald’s and Chinese food-delivery giant Meituan joining forces to launch the country’s first catering brand-exclusive drone-delivery route. Commencing operations last week, the new service allows visitors strolling or exercising along the scenic West Bund area in Shanghai’s Xuhui district to have their fast-food orders ‘airdropped’ directly to designated kiosks, according to a recent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3367482/cloudy-chance-big-macs-mcdonalds-and-meituan-launch-drone-route-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/big-tech/article/3367482/cloudy-chance-big-macs-mcdonalds-and-meituan-launch-drone-route-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:38:38 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Beijing has introduced stricter drone regulations, banning all uncrewed flights as well as the possession and storage of existing devices, while detailing disposal methods for the first time in an effort to strengthen security in the capital. The new rules, which will take effect on November 15, follow an incident in June, when a small aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest building, the Citic Tower – also known as China Zun – leading to the death of the pilot. The newly revised regulations on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3367401/beijing-puts-total-ban-drones-update-regulations-after-deadly-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3367401/beijing-puts-total-ban-drones-update-regulations-after-deadly-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Poland and Ukraine on Sunday denounced Russian strikes close to the Polish border, including on a Warsaw-bound train and near a frontier checkpoint – as an “escalation” in the war. Ukraine’s rail operator said former British prime minister Boris Johnson and ex-US CIA director David Petraeus were at a border railway station nearby around the time the train was hit. But the strikes came as US President Donald Trump called on Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt attacks on Russian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3367370/senior-western-figures-ukraine-station-russia-train-strike-rail-operator-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3367370/senior-western-figures-ukraine-station-russia-train-strike-rail-operator-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 17:35:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Houthi fighters on Sunday said they used drones and missiles to attack a military base in southern Saudi Arabia as renewed fighting with Yemen’s government forces forced growing numbers of civilians to flee. The attack at the southern Sharurah base targeted “weapons depots and command and control centres that are managing the aggression against our nation and people”, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media. The date of the operation was not specified. Clashes have increased... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367329/houthis-hit-saudi-base-after-renewed-fighting-yemen-government-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367329/houthis-hit-saudi-base-after-renewed-fighting-yemen-government-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 23:46:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bulgaria is investigating the cause of a fire at a weapons storage facility operated by EMCO, including the possibility of sabotage and a link to a previous blaze at another of the company’s facilities in August, the interior minister said. No ‌injuries were reported in the fire, which broke out near the village of Tsareva Livada and lit up the night sky, according to videos broadcast locally. The incident came weeks after an explosion and fire at another EMCO weapons depot in western... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3367324/bulgaria-probes-explosion-weapon-storage-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3367324/bulgaria-probes-explosion-weapon-storage-site?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 15:23:58 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez The People’s Liberation Army may be seeking to give its frontline mechanised units mobile protection against the kind of drone-saturated battlefield that could emerge in a Taiwan conflict. Unverified images posted on mainland Chinese social media on August 29 show a new variant of the Type 19 amphibious 8x8 combat vehicle featuring a turret-mounted laser weapon and extra sensors alongside its standard autocannon. Janes, an open-source defence intelligence provider, reported in 2023 that vehicles... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3367305/why-plas-laser-equipped-type-19-vehicle-could-matter-taiwan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3367305/why-plas-laser-equipped-type-19-vehicle-could-matter-taiwan-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 14:00:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West pipeline after the vital oil conduit came under aerial attack in the widening Middle East war. The world’s largest crude oil exporter temporarily closed the pipeline after a drone attack that both Baghdad and Riyadh said had originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate. Iraq dismissed a military commander on Saturday in response to the attack. The 1,200km (745-mile) pipeline running across the Arabian Peninsula had helped Saudi Arabia to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367268/saudi-pipeline-bypasses-hormuz-shut-after-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367268/saudi-pipeline-bypasses-hormuz-shut-after-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 20:24:55 +0000 David Kim David Kim On September 1, former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced that Alex Karp, CEO of artificial intelligence and data analytics firm Palantir Technologies, would become the lead investor in a new defence technology company he is building. This confirmed what Fedorov had only gestured at two days earlier in an interview with the Financial Times: that what he was selling investors was never really drones. In that interview, he also suggested he was ready to trade drone-warfare... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366882/what-ukraine-has-japan-and-taiwan-lack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366882/what-ukraine-has-japan-and-taiwan-lack?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters In a cramped workshop near the front ⁠in northeastern Ukraine, military mechanic “Chimera” is helping prepare his unit’s robot forces for battle. Lined up in a row, the four-wheeled unmanned vehicles known as “Hyenas” will crawl towards Russian lines with their payload of explosives and attack an enemy dugout or halt an advance. Similar models have captured Russian prisoners, said Chimera, 44, who asked to be identified by his call sign. “Imagine what 20kg (44 pounds) of explosives is like: it’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3367171/machines-fighting-men-ukraines-battlefront?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3367171/machines-fighting-men-ukraines-battlefront?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2026 06:46:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Canada ⁠has agreed to a C$350 million (US$254 million) aid package for Kyiv to acquire air defence interceptors, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday, after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Kyiv is ‌running critically low on US-made Patriot interceptors capable of stopping Russia’s ballistic missiles at a time when Moscow is stepping up its attacks. “As Russia escalates its barbaric aerial warfare indiscriminately targeting civilian populations, Ukraine’s air defences are... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3367106/canada-unveils-us254-million-air-defence-package-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3367106/canada-unveils-us254-million-air-defence-package-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:05:20 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong China’s next-generation combat aircraft will be able to fly by themselves if a pilot loses consciousness, navigate without satellite signals and operate in self-reorganising large drone formations. That is the plan laid out by researchers from the Shenyang Aircraft Design & Research Institute, a top Chinese military aircraft design organisation, in a paper last month. The institute is associated with the development of the Chinese next-generation aircraft commonly referred to as the J-50, which... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3367010/j-50-designers-reveal-leapfrog-tech-chinas-next-gen-stealth-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3367010/j-50-designers-reveal-leapfrog-tech-chinas-next-gen-stealth-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2026 06:58:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran’s capture of a US military underwater drone gives Tehran an opportunity to study and potentially reverse-engineer the vessel, delivering a setback for the Pentagon and drone maker Anduril. The US military and Anduril have downplayed the significance of the drone falling into Iranian hands. The vessel, a Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle designed for long-range surveillance and other undersea missions, is among a new ‌generation of military drones intended to operate for days with little... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366980/iran-likely-reverse-engineer-captured-us-underwater-drone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366980/iran-likely-reverse-engineer-captured-us-underwater-drone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 23:34:44 +0000 Han Li Han Li Greg Reverdiau, an Arizona-based drone trainer, said he saw something highly unusual for politically polarised America when he waded through public comments on a US government proposal to restrict foreign-made drones: a consensus. Reverdiau, the founder of Pilot Institute, which helps aviators obtain licences, said he reviewed over 3,800 comments submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and estimates that about 98 per cent opposed the proposal or raised concerns about it. “Those... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3366976/us-drone-ban-proposal-combat-chinas-dominance-concerns-american-police-farmers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3366976/us-drone-ban-proposal-combat-chinas-dominance-concerns-american-police-farmers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:48:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukraine and Moldova on Wednesday played down claims from Norway’s prime minister that a plane carrying President Volodymyr Zelensky was almost hit by a drone as it flew to Oslo. Jonas Gahr Store told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that Zelensky’s plane was “almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova”. But a source in the Ukrainian presidency described the claim that Zelensky was at risk as “exaggerated”. “It was an alert in Moldova when a Russian (drone) entered Moldovan and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3366973/ukraine-leader-zelenskys-plane-almost-hit-drone-way-oslo-norway-pm-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3366973/ukraine-leader-zelenskys-plane-almost-hit-drone-way-oslo-norway-pm-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:45:28 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez The risk of a conflict over Taiwan is shaping Japanese defence planning, with Tokyo shoring up security at home and abroad for a potentially prolonged fight. But there are economic, demographic and political constraints on how far its military transformation can go. In the third of a three-part series, Gabriel Dominguez examines the various challenges confronting Japan in its bid to expand its military. Driven by the growing risk that a conflict over Taiwan could draw Tokyo into a high-intensity... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366923/japans-china-facing-military-build-confronts-labour-budget-and-political-limits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366923/japans-china-facing-military-build-confronts-labour-budget-and-political-limits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Albee Zhang Albee Zhang If mastering drone-swarm technology were not difficult enough, China is now tackling the more complex task of integrating uncrewed land, sea and air platforms, according to the country’s leading developer in the field. In an article posted on China Electronics Technology Group Corporation’s (CETC) social media account on Sunday, the company’s Intelligent Technology Research Institute said drone-swarm technology was not merely “many drones flying together”, but an intelligent, distributed combat... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366915/merging-air-land-and-sea-swarms-next-frontier-chinas-drone-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366915/merging-air-land-and-sea-swarms-next-frontier-chinas-drone-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Kazakhstan has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hong Kong’s transport authorities to establish a laboratory and discussed low-altitude economy initiatives to help manage traffic jams. Bakhtiyar Mukhametkaliyev, Kazakhstan’s vice-minister of artificial intelligence and digital development, told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday about discussions with the team of Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Summit in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3366910/hong-kong-kazakhstan-sign-mou-transport-lab-discuss-low-altitude-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3366910/hong-kong-kazakhstan-sign-mou-transport-lab-discuss-low-altitude-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:04:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday it had captured a ‌US uncrewed submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, offering a rare glimpse into how underwater drones are being used in military operations. Iranian state media said the vessel was a Dive-LD, a large autonomous underwater vehicle built by California defence firm Anduril. The 5.8-metre (19-foot) submersible can carry out missions including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering ⁠and the inspection of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366849/iran-says-captured-us-underwater-drone-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366849/iran-says-captured-us-underwater-drone-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 02:27:37 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez The risk of a conflict over Taiwan is shaping Japanese defence planning, with Tokyo shoring up security at home and abroad for a potentially prolonged fight. But there are economic, demographic and political constraints on how far its military transformation can go. In the second of a three-part series, Gabriel Dominguez examines how Tokyo is building military resilience within its territory. Japan’s recent purchase of a former Nippon Steel site to build a sprawling new defence hub points to a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366766/how-japan-digging-deter-and-withstand-conflict-over-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366766/how-japan-digging-deter-and-withstand-conflict-over-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Pakistan has unveiled a newly acquired Chinese-made short-range air defence system that analysts say could boost its ability to counter Indian drones and low-altitude threats in a future conflict. A social media video posted by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Sunday confirmed for the first time that it was operating the HQ-17AE short-range air defence (Shorad) system. The HQ-17AE is an export version of China’s HQ-17A air defence system – a wheeled variant of the original HQ-17 that was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366797/chinas-hq-17ae-shorad-system-boost-pakistani-drone-defence-india-tensions-simmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366797/chinas-hq-17ae-shorad-system-boost-pakistani-drone-defence-india-tensions-simmer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng As China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen gears up to host November’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, its province, Guangdong, is making sure its technological prowess is also receiving global attention. At Saturday’s Asia-Pacific Media Forum, a major media gathering before the summit, a hall was packed with hi-tech products from the province, including a BYD car, DJI drones and Tencent Holdings’ artificial intelligence products, as well as smartphones from Honor and Vivo. Before... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3366713/byd-cars-dji-drones-guangdong-showcases-tech-prowess-ahead-apec-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/tech/article/3366713/byd-cars-dji-drones-guangdong-showcases-tech-prowess-ahead-apec-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 05:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Germany is planning a broad package of measures to strengthen its defences against drone attacks, cyber intrusions and other forms of Russian sabotage after a failed airport drone attack ‌last month, an interior ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, which first reported the plans, that Russia’s hybrid attacks had become a part of daily reality. “These attacks will increase, but we can ⁠defend and protect ourselves,”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3366553/germany-plans-anti-sabotage-shield-after-airport-drone-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3366553/germany-plans-anti-sabotage-shield-after-airport-drone-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:09:28 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai China has been urged to draw on the lessons from Ukraine’s communications as it looks at new forms of wartime messaging. A recent study concluded that in the complex modern information environment, possessing advanced technology was not enough because success would depend on “weaving” together the information strategy and military operations. It said such campaigns should try to shatter the adversary’s sense of security while strengthening domestic resolve and gathering international... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366516/why-china-being-urged-study-ukraines-wartime-pr-blitz-ai-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3366516/why-china-being-urged-study-ukraines-wartime-pr-blitz-ai-age?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:00:05 +0000