China shows off mosquito-sized drone to be used on 'special missions on the battlefield'

China has unveiled a new mosquito-sized drone that is suited for "information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield."

The small device, which was developed by scientists at a university in the country's Hunan province, features two yellow, leaf-like wings, a black vertical body and three hair-thin legs.

A video shared by China's state media at the weekend shows one of the scientists holding up a model of the "mosquito-like type of robot."

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An expert said that while the tiny size of the drone could make it difficult to actually deploy it to the battlefield, it can still be used for a range of aims including information gathering.

Sam Bresnick, a research fellow at Georgetown’s Centre for Security and Emerging Technology, told The Telegraph, "If China is able to produce mosquito-sized drones, it would likely be interested in using them for various intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, especially in places that larger drones struggle to access, such as indoor areas."

He added, "These drones could be used to track individuals or listen in on conversations."

Being less visible to the naked eye, such small devices could potentially avoid detection and reach restricted locations - such as "intelligence or secure government facilities" - where access is otherwise prohibited, said China expert Timothy Heath.

The senior defense researcher pointed out that while secure facilities often have technology to block wireless transmissions - meaning that even if the drone had access, it may not be able to receive commands once inside - the use of these small devices could become widespread also in social contexts.

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According to Mr Heath, there is a risk of people using the tiny drones to spy on their neighbors or individuals of interest.

This could also include criminals trying to infiltrate a business or a citizen's home to steal data such as passwords.

However, the expert said that due to their small size, these drones can carry a limited amount of technology - and would also need to use small batteries that would need to be changed regularly.

Mr Heath said, "To spy over a long period of time, someone would need to be willing to constantly cycle out microdrones, recharge them, and redeploy them in addition to sifting through the collected data, all within range of the target person or business.

"This is why the drone is less useful for battlefields but more useful for special mission operations or espionage missions."

Last year, Chinese elite special forces deployed a trove of electric gadgets, including jet surfboads and bird-like biomimetic drones, during a a televised combat demonstration.

The live-fire exercise was held at the Nanchang Infantry Academy in Jiangxi and was broadcast live on China Military - a military-affiliated tv segment - on August 1, 2024.

August 1 is the date that China commemorates the 97th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army, which is currently the largest standing military in the world.