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Drones

Drones
The latest news, analysis and opinion on drones, especially Chinese drone makers and drone usage.
A drone flies over the Khumbu Icefall on the Nepali side of Mount Everest in April last year. Photo: Xinhua
Low-altitude economy

China’s ‘black flying’ drone dilemma: when tech clashes with aviation safety

Videos posted online have shown drones climbing above 8,000 metres, dangerously close to passenger aircraft.

Japan

Bear aware: Japanese drone school develops AI system to track animals

Ukraine war

Ukraine claims disabled Russian submarine in first underwater drone attack

China's military weapons

China’s latest stealth endurance drone, CH-7, completes maiden flight

Designer says UAV can quickly penetrate target areas for reconnaissance and rely on stealth to send information from battle front lines.

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The CH-7 has completed its maiden flight, although China’s state media says it will undergo further tests. Photo: Handout
Ukraine war

Ukraine retakes Kharkiv areas as Russian troops ‘completely cut off’ in Kupiansk

Disputing Moscow’s claim of controlling Kupiansk, Ukraine retakes villages and isolates Russian troops amid fierce eastern battles.

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China's military weapons

China’s drone carrier Jiu Tian takes flight to signal PLA swarm capacity boost

Xinhua hails ‘breakthrough in China’s large drone technology’, says Jiu Tian could also be deployed in wide range of civilian applications.

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Thailand

Video | Thai military drones strike Cambodian border

At least 15 people, including Thai soldiers and Cambodian civilians, have died in the most recent border clashes.

Military drones hit this casino building along the border.
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Africa

33 children killed in drone attack by Sudan paramilitaries, doctors say

17 adults were also killed in the strike on a kindergarten, which drew condemnation from the Sudan Doctors’ Network.

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Ukraine war

Why more women are embracing combat roles in Ukraine’s military

Equipment such as drones has opened up new paths for women and helped them overcome resistance in the military.

France

Drones buzz French nuclear base amid Russian hybrid warfare fears

Marines deployed electronic jammers against five suspected devices spotted hovering over the Ile Longue submarine facility.

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A nuclear submarine at the naval base in Ile Longue, western France. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Chernobyl safety shield damaged, UN confirms. Ukraine blames Russian drones

Despite the loss of ‘confinement capability’ at the notorious nuclear plant, IAEA officials report no radiation leaks.

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The damaged safety shield at the Chernobyl nuclear plant is seen in February. Photo: Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP
Ukraine war

Drones spotted near Zelensky’s flight path to Dublin spark security alert

Report says enquiries are trying to determine whether the drones took off from land or an undetected ship.

China's military weapons

China’s unmanned Moyujian strike helicopter is ready for plateau combat tests

At Aero Asia in Zhuhai, developer says it put high-altitude drone with missiles through live-fire target tests above 4,000 metres.

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China's military weapons

Is China’s rapid anti-submarine drone progress adding to concerns of Japan, US?

After decades within the confines of the first island chain, the PLA Navy is unveiling a succession of game-changing advances.

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The full-scale model of a Chinese Wing Loong-X UAV on display during the Dubai Airshow in November. Photo: AFP
Science

China’s ‘dirt cheap’ missiles could shake up global defence market: state media

The ‘cement-coated’ YKJ-1000 could prove ‘formidably competitive’ internationally if sold at the relatively cheap price of US$99,000.

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The YKJ-1000 can reach speeds of up to Mach 7. Photo: Handout
Ukraine war

Kazakhstan tells Ukraine to stop Black Sea oil terminal attacks

Ukraine has mounted wave after wave of attacks on Russia’s oil refineries and crude oil terminals in an attempt to undermine the Russian war economy.

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Ukraine war

Russian drone strike kills 1 near Kyiv amid flurry of peace talks

A child was among the 11 wounded during the attack on Vyshgorod, regional governor said.

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Taiwan

Taiwan’s plan to acquire drone ‘takeover’ technology sparks security debate

Network would protect key infrastructure from incursions by small commercial drones but there are concerns over use of takeover function.

Mainland Chinese firm DJI accounts for an estimated 70 to 75 per cent of the global civilian drone market, including Taiwan. Photo: Shutterstock
Ukraine war

Ukraine naval drones strike Russian oil tankers in Black Sea off Turkish coast

The Kairos and Virat are said to be part of the ‘shadow fleet’ that helps Moscow evade international sanctions.

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli drone attack kills two children in Gaza, say medics

Over 350 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire came into effect on October 10, with more than 70,000 killed since the war began.

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Italy

Italy’s Leonardo unveils ‘Michelangelo Dome’ air defence system

The system uses predictive AI to help position assets and shorten response times against threats like hypersonic weapons and drone swarms.

The Michelangelo Dome aims to coordinate warfare platforms from below sea level to out in space across a single network. Image: Leonardo.
Ukraine war

Russia’s Putin sets hardline condition for peace: Ukraine must cede land

Putin says Russia is seeking international recognition of occupied territories as the US pushes to end the nearly four-year Ukraine war.

A Ukrainian serviceman looks out for Russian combat drones near the frontline town of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters
China exports

China strengthens global drone dominance with record orders at Dubai Airshow

The country already dominates global patent applications for drones, one report shows, and manufacturers are rapidly expanding overseas.

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Taiwan

Taiwanese military budgets US$32 million for drone tech amid Beijing’s pressure

Citing the Ukraine war, plan entails ‘forward-looking multi-integration development project’ for uncrewed platforms between 2026 and 2028.

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Ukraine war

Zelensky’s peace mission in Turkey overshadowed by deadly Russian strikes

Amid the ongoing attacks and new peace talks, Moscow declined to comment on a US media report of a secret Russian-US plan to end the war.

A rescuer carrying a person at the site of a Russian strike in Ternopil on Wednesday. Photo: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram/EPA
DJI

DJI locks sights on Insta360 as 360-degree drone dogfight intensifies

With both DJI’s Avata 360 and Insta360’s Antigravity A1 waiting in the wings, 360-degree drones have become the next battleground.

A leaked image of DJI’s new 360-degree drone, named Avata 360. Photo: Handout
Japan

Video | Japan deploys barking drones to keep bears at bay

Bear sightings in Japan have jumped eight-fold compared to the previous year.

Ukraine war

Ukraine’s Zelensky secures ‘greatest air defence’ with 100 French Rafale jets

The aim is to finance the deal with EU programmes and the planned use of frozen Russian assets – which the EU has not yet agreed on.

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