The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that researchers in China have developed an extremely small, mosquito-size drone for military applications. The micro drone was developed by a robotics laboratory from the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in Hunan province in central China.
Micro drones are small, compact drones that may be used aside from the military and defence. The possibilities that micro drones offer can fundamentally change many industries and applications because of their unique capabilities.
Chinese military unveils mosquito-sized drones that can perform battlefield missions | Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) June 22, 2025
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
While the South China Morning Post claims the prototype was demonstrated by researchers on air on CCTV on the weekend, i.e., the military channel CCTV 7.
“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 Chinese military unveils a tiny drone the size of a mosquito.
— Alexeï (@jeanlol67573289) June 21, 2025
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
The mosquito-sized drone was said to have two small wings with leaf-like structures on each. It had three “legs” thin as hair. It was controlled via smartphone and was roughly equivalent to a mosquito size (about 1.3 centimeters long).
Use Of Micro-Drones
These small drones can be especially useful for clandestine military operations, because they can be used in surveillance and reconnaissance operations with little or no chance of being seen. They can also fly around and through rubble or debris in an effort to locate people trapped in emergencies.
Microdrones can be fitted with sensors to measure environmental conditions, such as air quality or water quality.
Microdrones do come with some disadvantages, such as a limited ability to carry payloads, which could restrict what types of sensors or equipment could be used. They also have shorter flight times because of their small batteries.
Despite this, improvements in battery life, sensor technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to improve microdrones.
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