Chinese authorities plan to protect islands in the South China Sea using an integrated, multi-layered network of automated combat systems and drone swarms.
Specialists from the China Coast Guard have proposed transforming islands in the South China Sea into autonomous robotic fortresses, TASS reports, citing the South China Morning Post.
Experts from the Coast Guard Academy and the Marine Electrical Engineering College at Dalian Maritime University have developed a plan to defend the area.
Under the proposal, the islands would be protected by a unified network comprising unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as well as unmanned surface and underwater systems. “The proposal comes as Beijing seeks to neutralize the growing threat posed by swarms of low-cost drones—asymmetric weapons that have transformed naval warfare, as traditional, human-operated defense systems become increasingly vulnerable to unmanned aerial and maritime formations,” the publication notes.
The developers emphasize that narrow passages near the islands and reefs create extensive blind spots. This renders traditional, crewed defense methods ineffective against rapid drone swarm attacks by an adversary. The new system envisions using a coordinated swarm of machines rather than human personnel.
The first phase involves establishing a large-scale surveillance network. UAVs would scan the airspace, surface vessels would cover blind spots, and underwater systems would monitor shallow straits. Artificial intelligence would analyze the data to assess threats. Defensive assets would be deployed in three concentric rings, with any threats reaching the inner ring destroyed by kamikaze drones and close-range combat systems.
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