In celebration of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) 97th anniversary, Chinese state television aired footage of a special forces training exercise showcasing an array of new gadgets. The exercise, held at the Nanchang Infantry Academy in Jiangxi, featured the Jiaolong Commandos, an amphibious unit of the Chinese navy. The demonstration showed the incorporation of new technology, including electric skateboards, jet surfboards, and bird-shaped drones, in military operations.
VIDEO: Chinese State TV has released footage of China’s special forces conducting a training exercise to commemorate the People’s Liberation Army’s 97th anniversary.
The exercise included electric skateboards, “jet surfboards,” drones shaped to look like birds and other… pic.twitter.com/ayWQBh27dL
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During the televised exercise, commandos were seen riding jet-powered surfboards across a garden lake, supposedly simulating a high-speed approach in a potential hostage rescue scenario. The use of electric skateboards by soldiers armed with assault rifles added a futuristic element to their movement through a paved road.
The PLA also showcased the deployment of a winged drone resembling a sparrow, which was launched by one of the commandos. Additionally, a larger drone designed to look like an eagle was shown being launched while the operator rode an electric skateboard.
The exercise also included commandos using handheld drones equipped with small propellers. One such drone was directed into a wall where it detonated. The commandos then performed an explosive breach on a plywood structure, retrieved a dummy representing a hostage, and evacuated the area in a pickup truck.
Further demonstrations included the use of a jetpack, similar to those tested by the UK’s Royal Marines, and various surveillance drones. A quadcopter drone was shown conducting reconnaissance, while a remote-controlled drone executed a strike on a paper target.
While these personal electric vehicles and drones are not yet widely used by major militaries, their presence in the PLA’s exercise reflects a growing interest in versatile, low-cost technology for combat and reconnaissance purposes. This trend is not unique to China; for instance, Russian forces in Ukraine have reportedly used electric scooters for silent movement, and pro-Russian militias in the Donbas region have employed motorcycles to avoid detection by drones.
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