BEIJING: China’s latest gun-toting quadruped military “wolf” robots are designed to stealthily approach enemies, fire precise shots on targets and work in rough terrain, state media said on Wednesday.
State broadcaster CCTV said the robots, an upgrade from earlier robotic dog iterations, can replace human soldiers in dangerous conditions to reduce combat casualties.
China has poured support into robotics, an area in which some experts say it might already have the upper hand over the United States.
Its military has been keen to showcase its defense innovation — including weapons incorporating advanced technology like robodogs — during drills with countries like Cambodia.
In a video posted by CCTV on Wednesday, the newest iteration of the robot “wolves” carries a rifle on its back, marching into a smoke-filled battlefield.
The agile machines climb up flights of stairs, carry heavy backpacks and launch attacks on dummies, clips showed.
While they look almost identical to the military’s robodogs, the “wolves” have improved “reconnaissance and strike capabilities,” CCTV said.
“They can navigate various terrains and carry out precision strikes from up to 100 meters (328 feet) away,” it added.
During war, the robots would be able to operate like a real wolf pack, dividing tasks and coordinating with each other, state media said.
At the front of the unit would be the “pack leader,” responsible for gathering target information and transmitting reconnaissance imagery, CCTV said.
Others would be in charge of shooting at enemies or carrying supplies and ammunition, it added.
These new robots could signal that the future battlefield will be more automated and deadly, said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.
It is “in part to instill national pride domestically, but also to intimidate potential adversaries externally,” Chong said.
Dogs of war: China touts killer robot ‘wolves’
https://arab.news/jfaym
Dogs of war: China touts killer robot ‘wolves’
- China has poured support into robotics, an area in which some experts say it might already have the upper hand over the United States
- State broadcaster CCTV said the robots, an upgrade from earlier robotic dog iterations, can replace human soldiers in dangerous conditions to reduce combat casualties
Iranian drones hit Azerbaijan airport
- Azerbaijan on Thursday summoned the Iranian envoy after two people were wounded in drone hits on an airport and near a school
DUBAI: Azerbaijan on Thursday summoned the Iranian envoy after two people were wounded in drone hits on an airport and near a school.
The attacks around midday involved at least two drones that crossed from Iran into Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhichevan, which borders Iran and is separated from mainland Azerbaijan by Armenia, said a foreign ministry statement.
“One drone fell on the terminal building of Nakhichevan Airport, while another drone fell near a school building in the village of Shekerabad,” the ministry said, damaging the airport and wounding two civilians.
The ministry said it had summoned Iranian envoy in Baku to express “strong protest” over the attack, which “contradicts the norms and principles of international law and contributes to rising tensions in the region.
“Azerbaijan reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures,” it added.
Iran has long expressed concern that Israel — a close ally of Azerbaijan and a key arms supplier — could use Azerbaijani territory to stage attacks.
Last June, Azerbaijan reassured Iran that it would not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Tehran after Israel launched a large-scale strike on Iranian targets.
Tehran has historically been wary of separatist sentiment among its ethnic Azerbaijani minority, which makes up around 10 million of Iran’s 83 million citizens.
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry lodged an official protest with the Iranian embassy on Thursday after a pair of Iranian drones flew across the border into Azerbaijan and injured two people at an airport in the Nakhchivan exclave.
“This attack on the territory of Azerbaijan contradicts the norms and principles of international law and contributes to increased tensions in the region,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran clarify the matter in the shortest possible time, provide an explanation and take the necessary urgent measures to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.”
The Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan has been summoned to the foreign ministry to receive a formal note of protest, Baku said.
The statement said Azerbaijan reserved the right to carry out “appropriate response measures” against Tehran.
Azerbaijan’s ministry said one drone fell on the terminal building of the Nakhchivan International Airport, which is approximately 10 km (6 miles) across the border from Iran, and another drone landed close to a school building in a nearby village.
A source close to the Azerbaijani government told Reuters a fire had started as a result of the incident.
Video footage shared by the source showed black smoke rising near the airport and damage to the skylight inside the terminal building.
