Video shows armed robotic dog deployed by drone in China

A video surfaced online showing a Chinese drone transporting a four-legged robodog equipped with a mount to carry weapons. The Drive reports.

Initially, a one-minute video was spotted on Weibo. The user who posted the video is likely connected to a local defence company.

The original clip opens with footage of a drone landing on the roof of a nondescript Chinese city, dropping the robodog and flying away. Soon after, the four-legged device unfolds from its folded state and begins moving in a new location.

The robodog’s back mounts armament reminiscent of the Chinese QBB-97 light machine gun.

“The heavy-duty Red Wing Forward drones deliver combat robot dogs directly behind the enemy for a surprise attack, or can be deployed on the enemy’s roof to seize commanding heights and suppress firepower. Ground troops can then conduct a three-dimensional, pincer-like attack on the enemy inside a building,” the video description says.

Technical specifications of the robotic dog and the drone are unknown. Nevertheless the unmanned aerial vehicle bears many visual features typical of a mid-range, commercially available drone.

A Weibo user shared additional videos featuring other robodogs in similar conditions. It can be assumed that the company specialises in technologies designed for these environments.

In October 2022, a coalition of six robotics companies refused to create or support the use of the devices and software they developed for military purposes.

In June 2021, the UN recorded the first case in history of a combat drone killing a person without a direct order from an operator. In response, Human Rights Watch called for a ban on the production and use of autonomous weapons.

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