Robot dogs laden with explosives: China showcases cutting-edge weapons in new military drill
- MM24 News Desk
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
People's Liberation Army robot dogs loaded with explosives were deployed in an amphibious landing exercise simulating an assault on Taiwan, but CCTV documentary footage showed the four-legged robots being shot down on open beaches, forcing commanders to resort to "the most primitive approach – using humans," resulting in "heavy casualties" according to landing unit commander Ren Mengqi. The drill, which included footage from Strait Thunder 2025A exercise in April, marked one of at least six large-scale joint exercises around Taiwan since August 2022.
Robot dogs might not be able to survive a potential assault on Taiwan, based on the results of an amphibious landing exercise carried out by the People's Liberation Army and aired in a documentary by state broadcaster CCTV.
In the exercise, the four-legged robots, loaded with explosives, were released by the first wave of landing forces. They ran across ditches, blocks and barricades on the beachhead in an attempt to clear a passage for the penetration of the enemy defensive line, reported CCTV.
At the same time, first-person view (FPV) unmanned aerial vehicles were deployed by specialized drone units to strike the enemy firing positions along with armed combat troops, providing fire suppression for the robot dogs, the documentary showed.
Throughout the operation, reconnaissance drones monitored the battlefield and ascertained enemy positions while more robot dogs could be seen serving as ammunition transporters for soldiers deployed in scattered positions.
Meanwhile, another robot dog with a machine gun on its back accompanied a team of paratroopers advancing through the jungle to infiltrate the enemy's rear, then led the way to intercept enemy reinforcements.
This happened after the drill director declared that the PLA's amphibious armored vehicles were damaged by defensive artillery, causing congestion on the advance route in the full-course amphibious landing exercise, according to CCTV.
The operation's wide use and seamless integration of the systems indicated that the PLA has adapted to uncrewed warfare and developed significant capabilities. However, the results of the drill also appear to reveal the limitations of military drones.
According to the documentary, a defending soldier was able to shoot down a robot dog from a distance as it moved on the open beach. And the FPV drones did not seem to have weakened the fortified enemy positions – a sobering finding that challenges assumptions about unmanned systems' effectiveness against prepared defenses.
"Under the circumstances that the unmanned equipment had already been destroyed, we were forced to resort to the most primitive approach – using humans," landing unit commander Ren Mengqi told CCTV.
The crude and dangerous method – attempting to breach a path by ordering soldiers to crawl under heavy fire and place explosive charges by hand – resulted in "heavy casualties," he said. This frank admission reveals the risks of over-relying on unmanned systems when facing competent adversaries capable of countering them.
The documentary also showed that the defenses on the beach were not cleared until the infiltration team launched an attack from behind, suggesting that traditional combined-arms tactics remained essential even with advanced robotic systems.
The report did not specify the time or location of the drill, but some of the footage was previously aired in Forging Ahead, a documentary series commemorating Army Day on August 1, which included scenes drawn from the Strait Thunder 2025A exercise in April.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognize the island as independent, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take it by force and is committed to supplying Taipei with arms.
The PLA has intensified its posture around the self-ruled island in recent years, particularly after pro-independence Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te took office last year and made a series of remarks that repeatedly angered Beijing.
Strait Thunder 2025A was one of at least six large-scale joint exercises around Taiwan conducted by the PLA since August 2022, each featuring different maneuvers and showcasing new operational abilities.
The candid acknowledgment of unmanned systems' vulnerabilities in this exercise stands in contrast to typical Chinese military propaganda emphasizing technological superiority. By showing robot dogs being shot down and drones failing to suppress fortified positions, the PLA appears to be using this documentary for internal lessons rather than external intimidation.
Military analysts have long questioned whether robotic systems could survive intensive defensive fire in high-threat environments like a Taiwan amphibious assault. The exercise results suggest those concerns have merit, and that human soldiers remain essential despite advances in autonomous military technology.
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