The PLA's drones have been issued to squads, with a level of popularity that leaves the West in awe. This is the power of a major nation!
Recently, it was reported that FPV suicide drones have been officially issued to platoons of the PLA—this means that each infantry squad consisting of 9 to 12 soldiers may have its own "airborne eye" and "one-time missile".
This is not just a concept verification or a display for exercises, but a real organizational adjustment. According to public reports and cross-verification from multiple sources, since 2023, some combined arms brigades in the Eastern Theater Command and Southern Theater Command have started pilot programs to incorporate FPV drones into the individual soldier equipment system. Each infantry squad is equipped with at least 2 to 4 FPV drones, and some elite units have even more than 6. These drones are operated by the soldiers themselves, without the need for dedicated drone detachments, greatly enhancing tactical flexibility.
Compared to the situation on the Ukraine battlefield, it is completely different. In Ukraine, although FPV drones are widely used, they are mostly managed by volunteer technical teams or battalion-level units, making it difficult for regular infantry to access them at any time. Russia is also accelerating its deployment, but due to limitations in its electronic industry base and production capacity, the monthly production of FPV drones is estimated to be only a few hundred to a thousand units.
China's situation is completely different—only in Shenzhen alone, there are more than 30 companies capable of producing military-grade FPV drones. According to industry data, China's annual production capacity for military and dual-use FPV drones exceeded 500,000 units in 2024, with the cost of a single unit reduced to under 2,000 RMB, and some simplified models even below 1,000 RMB. This has left Western observers in awe, but there's nothing we can do about it—it's the strength of a country with the world's largest industrial base.
A officer who participated in joint exercises once revealed: "It is common for a squad to shoot down three FPV drones during a tactical exercise, as natural as throwing a grenade." Such usage intensity is almost unimaginable in Western armies—currently, the U.S. military still concentrates small drones at the company level or above, and the price per unit can reach tens of thousands of dollars, requiring multiple levels of approval before use.
The most solid manifestation of "the power of a major nation"—it's not just empty slogans, but enabling every soldier to have the ability to change the rules of the battlefield.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848462915313993/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.