China's Tiny "Mosquito" Drone Could Revolutionise Warfare Forever

Scientists in China have developed a really small, mosquito-sized drone for military operations, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. The micro drone has been developed by a robotics laboratory at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in central China's Hunan province.

Micro drones are small and compact drones that can be used for various applications besides military and defence. They have the potential to revolutionise various industries and applications with their unique capabilities.

The prototype was displayed by researchers on air on CCTV 7 (China Central Television's military channel) on the weekend, the report noted.

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"Here in my hand is a mosquito-like type of robot. Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions on the battlefield," Liang Hexiang, a student at NUDT, told CCTV as he showed the small drone holding in his hand.

The mosquito-sized drone reportedly had two small wings with leaflike structures on either side. It also had three hair-thin "legs". It was controlled with a smartphone and was roughly equivalent to a mosquito (about 1.3 centimetres long).

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Chinese military unveils mosquito-sized drones that can perform battlefield missions | Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering

The drone features a pair of flapping “wings” and “legs” and is designed for covert military operations.

China's National University of Defence… pic.twitter.com/V1VZz5w3Ft

— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) June 22, 2025

The Chinese military unveils a tiny drone the size of a mosquito.

The creators believe such a drone is nearly impossible to detect, making it ideal for reconnaissance. A compact handheld device is all that's needed for control.

China is ahead of the rest of the world... pic.twitter.com/thfCzIcchy

— Alexeï (@jeanlol67573289) June 21, 2025

Use of micro-drones

Such miniature drones can prove to be critical for covert military operations as they can be used for surveillance or reconnaissance missions without being easily detected.

They can navigate through rubble or debris to locate survivors in emergencies.

Microdrones can be equipped with sensors to monitor environmental conditions, such as air quality or water quality.

Notably, microdrones come with a few challenges, such as they have limited payload capacity, which can restrict the types of sensors or equipment they can carry.

They typically have shorter flight times due to their small batteries.

However, improvements in battery life, sensor technology and artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to enhance the capabilities of microdrones.

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