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Drones

Drones
The latest news, analysis and opinion on drones, especially Chinese drone makers and drone usage.
The rising number of cranio-maxillofacial injuries has prompted changes to military medical treatment protocols around the world. Photo: Shutterstock
A Ukrainian soldier prepares a drone to fire towards Russian positions in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine on Saturday. Photo: Ukraine’s 65th Mechanised Brigade via AP
UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)

Eyeing Ukraine, China’s military doctors voice progress on drone-caused injuries

Head, face and neck injuries are becoming a big problem in armed conflicts dominated by uncrewed aerial vehicles.

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Low-altitude economy

Low-altitude sector hits turbulence in China’s Hangzhou as subsidies face repeal

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Russia

Putin’s party retains power in Russian vote marked by massive drone attack

Donald Trump

Trump says his big arch would be a ‘military complex’ with drones and snipers

US president claims massive monument will store ammunition as critics call national security framing a legal pretext.

US President Donald Trump holds a model of the triumphal arch he plans to build. Photo: AFP
DJI

China’s Insta360 opens first US flagship store in New York’s Times Square

Action camera maker Insta360 is opening a New York City flagship as it navigates price wars with DJI, soaring memory costs.

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China's military weapons

Could mystery Shanghai vessel be a mothership for China’s underwater drones?

Satellite images show an unusual craft under construction that analysts say may be designed to deploy very large uncrewed submarines.

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Indonesia

Pride or practicality? Indonesia welcomes first aircraft carrier

Jakarta has approved US$450 million for the aircraft carrier programme but some lawmakers warn the final bill could be higher.

Former Italian Navy aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi docks at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta on Friday. Photo: AFP
Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi arrives at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta on Friday. Photo: EPA
Former Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (right) sails in Indonesian waters on Thursday. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

US pivot leaves Saudi Arabia with ‘humiliating dilemma’ over Houthis

Riyadh is now working frantically to build a coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea and defend the kingdom against Houthi attacks.

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North Korea

Russia employs North Koreans to build drones for Ukraine war: report

The move shows how military ties have expanded beyond weapons and troops into labour and industrial production, the report says.

China-Middle East relations

China affirms support for Iran, but warns against Yemen spillover

In talks with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing, Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls on Tehran and Washington to stay rational.

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Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (right) urged all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “at the earliest opportunity”. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

US military fires on boats attempting to capture sailing drone off Iran

Central Command confirms engagement off Iranian coast as Tehran claims vessels were local fishing craft.

A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel in the Arabian Gulf off Bahrain’s coast. Photo: US Central Command via AFP
US-China relations

ICE death, AI military strike proposal, Huawei trial: 7 US-China relations reads

From a drone ban to birth tourism, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of September 2026.

Ukraine war

Ukraine says ready for ‘de-escalatory steps’ if Russia does same

Kyiv demands genuine commitment from Moscow as Trump claims deal to halt refinery and grid attacks.

Low-altitude economy

Big Macs from above: Meituan and McDonald’s launch drone delivery in Shanghai

Fast-food orders will soar through the Shanghai sky, quickly reaching designated kiosks along the West Bund, offering a new way to collect meals.

McDonald’s orders can be delivered by drone to the West Bund in Shanghai as part of a new arrangement with Meituan. Photo: handout
China’s Communist Party

Beijing puts a total ban on drones in update to regulations after deadly crash

China’s capital will enforce the country’s toughest rules on UAVs from November 15 but a no-fly zone will be in effect from Sunday.

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UAVs will be banned entirely throughout the Beijing metropolitan area, in a response to the incident in June when a small aircraft damaged the Citic Tower, also known as China Zun. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine war

Poland and Ukraine denounce train strike on route used by foreign dignitaries

Drone attack at Ukraine station 2km from the Polish frontier occurred shortly after visitors – including Boris Johnson – passed through.

Middle East

Houthis hit Saudi base amid renewed fighting with Yemen government forces

The rebels have cemented their hold on the Bab el-Mandab Strait, which has become a key route for oil exports after Iran’s Hormuz blockade.

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European Union

Bulgaria probes explosion at weapon storage site

The facility is run by a Bulgarian arms trader whose facilities have been alleged to be the ⁠target of attacks by Russian operatives.

Fire from an ammunition depot storage of the EMCO company near Tsareva Livada, Bulgaria on Saturday. Photo: AP
China's military weapons

Why PLA’s laser-equipped Type 19 vehicle could matter in a Taiwan conflict

Images appear to show amphibious platform adapted with energy weapon and extra sensors for counter-drone defence.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Saudi pipeline that bypasses Hormuz shut after attacks

The kingdom said the East-West pipeline was targeted by drones launched from Iraq, causing several injuries.

Ukraine war

Opinion | What Ukraine has that Japan and Taiwan lack

Ukraine’s former defence minister is launching a new venture that could offer more than drone technology. Asia should take notes.

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A service member of the 414th Separate Unmanned Strike Aviation System Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces checks an FP-1 deep-strike drone before it launches for a combat mission, in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, in 2026. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine war

The machines fighting for men on Ukraine’s battlefront

Ukraine’s military deploys experimental unmanned vehicles to assault positions, resupply forces and rescue wounded.

Unmanned ground vehicles roll through central Kyiv during a military display in August. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters
Ukraine war

Canada unveils US$254 million air defence package for Ukraine

Kyiv is ‌running critically low on US-made Patriot interceptors, as Russia steps up its ballistic missile attacks.

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Science

J-50 design team reveals leapfrog tech for China’s next-gen stealth fighters

The aircraft are expected to have futuristic systems for self-flying and large-scale drone wingman squads.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran likely to reverse-engineer captured US underwater drone

The loss represents ‌a propaganda victory for Tehran and an awkward setback for Washington’s efforts to project technological superiority.

A statue stands in front of a billboard featuring a captured US underwater drone with text reading in Persian, ‘Hunting the Hunter’, in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA
US-China trade war

US drone ban proposal to halt China’s rise concerns American police, farmers

Fears in US surround banning of Chinese drones used for non-military purposes such as search and rescue, factory inspections and farming.

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DJI products like the Mavic 2 Pro have proven popular in the US. As a result, a US government proposal to restrict foreign-made drones has faced a backlash. Photo: Getty Images
Ukraine war

Ukraine, Moldova play down Norwegian claim Zelensky’s plane ‘almost hit’ by drone

Officials clarify airspace closure delayed Ukrainian leader’s flight to Oslo following Russian drone intrusion.

China-Japan relations

Japan’s China-facing military push tests labour, budget and political limits

Amid ambitious transformation driven by risk it could be drawn into a Taiwan conflict, Tokyo tackles tough obstacles at home, analysts say.

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