At a time when modern battlefields are dominated by drones, China has gone a step further, claiming to be developing a fully AI-driven “swarm warfare” architecture that could potentially overwhelm enemy air defences.
Following the Ukraine-Russia war, the world has witnessed a rapid evolution in the types of drones used for attacks, logistics, and reconnaissance. The war demonstrated how small drones, including commercial quadcopters, can cause significant damage by conducting reconnaissance, guiding artillery fire, and destroying tanks. This was further tested in West Asia, where Iran and its proxies have launched drones to overwhelm their adversaries.
The primary drawback of these individual drones is that each requires an operator. In contrast, a swarm of hundreds of drones is managed as a single entity—delivering an enormous impact at low cost and relatively low effort.
Drone swarms use algorithms to avoid bumping into each other, somewhat like a flock of birds. In fact, more advanced versions of these systems use AI to coordinate tasks like spreading out to search an area or carrying out a synchronised attack. They are preprogrammed to perform certain roles, such as intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and kinetic attacks.
The idea behind swarm drones is that they could penetrate even the most formidable air defence systems by overwhelming them with sheer numbers.
Even if some drones are downed, others could pass through with enough ammunition to destroy air defence radar and other defences, and lay the ground for further, more devastating attacks by fighter jets, cruise missiles, and other weapons. China, for one, has invested heavily in developing drone swarms, as discussed in multiple past EurAsian Times reports.
In line with that, Chinese state media unveiled its first full-process demonstration of the Atlas drone swarm system on March 25, 2026, showcasing an integrated “kill chain” from reconnaissance to precision strike, according to Global Times.
China’s Atlas Drone Swarm System
China’s domestically developed and manufactured Atlas drone swarm system comprises the Swarm-2 ground combat vehicle, the command vehicle, and the support vehicle.
A logo of China Electronics Technology Group Corp. was visible on the launch vehicle in footage released by state media.
The Swarm-2 vehicle debuted at Airshow China 2024. Notably, a single Swarm-2 ground combat vehicle can transport and launch 48 fixed-wing drones, whereas a single command vehicle in the Atlas system can simultaneously control up to 96 drones in a swarm.
The system not only demonstrates the growing battlefield applications of drone swarms but also reflects the rapid development of algorithm-driven technologies, which are changing modern warfare by enabling autonomous coordination, precision engagement, and system-level combat capabilities, a military affairs expert told the Global Times.
Each drone can carry a range of payloads, relay communication, and conduct electro-optical reconnaissance. Additionally, it can also be flexibly combined into various operational groupings to form multifunctional swarms capable of complex missions.
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In the recent operations test, three targets strikingly similar to each other were set up in the strike zone at a test range. The Atlas drone swarm operations system quickly carried out coordinated reconnaissance, opened the launcher, launched drones, and independently located the command vehicle among the targets.
The drones then precisely hit the target after swiftly locking onto it in midair.
To ensure safe spacing and flight paths for every unit, the Swarm-2 vehicle used a mechanism with a 3-second launch interval, releasing one drone every 3 seconds.
The report states that the kind and order of drone launches can be changed to suit operational requirements. For instance, the electronic warfare drones can be used before attack drones to suppress enemies, enabling customised responses to various combat situations, while reconnaissance drones can be used first for intelligence gathering.
During mission execution, around 100 fast drones with swarm intelligence could quickly form precise, dense formations. They can also independently adapt to environmental factors, such as airflow disruptions, helping to prevent mid-air crashes, CCTV News reported.
The report further stated that the system’s swarm-control algorithms effectively give each drone a “smart brain,” facilitating communication, information sharing, and real-time positional modifications to maintain synchronised formations.
In a large-scale military operation, a single operator could control up to 96 drones, equivalent to one person flying almost 100 kites on a single line.
In fact, the system can accommodate drones of different sizes, enabling layered and complementary capabilities within the swarm.
Chinese military affairs expert Wang Yunfei told the Global Times that the system’s demonstration of modular task configurations will significantly increase China’s existing combat applicability. First, according to Wang, saturation strikes against enemy air defence systems might overwhelm interception capabilities by launching a large number of drones in multiple waves and directions, making it difficult for defenders to analyse and respond.
Second, he states that drones can loiter over targets and conduct continuous surveillance during precision strike missions, enabling strikes at closer range and with greater accuracy than traditional long-range munitions, whose accuracy can be affected by atmospheric conditions and electronic interference.
Third, in deep-strike operations, drones with ranges of hundreds or even thousands of kilometres can penetrate at low altitude, at low speed, and with small radar cross sections, making early detection and interception more challenging and enabling successful strikes deep inside hostile territory, blurring the traditional distinction between front lines and depth areas.
As China prepares for a potential conflict with the United States (and its regional allies) over Taiwan’s invasion, the swarm drone capability will come in handy, strengthening the military response near its coastline.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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