Red Sword Manufacturing
In a dusty alleyway in northern Syria, a Hamas militant looked out through a broken window until a 1.2kg drone the size of a shoebox landed quietly. It is equipped with a 50 gram warhead that detonates with precision, rendering it ineffective before a hidden RPG team fires. This is not Hollywood, this is the RS-901 micro drone, the “pocket raider” made in China is rewriting the modern combat rules for the military and non-state actors.
1. Size is not important unless it is important
The Western military once ridiculed “toy sized” drones. Not anymore. China’s micro attack drones, such as the RS-150J (wingspan 1.8 meters, 4.3 kilograms) and RS-96S (palm size, 0.6 kilograms), have performed well in areas where giants have failed:
Urban Canyons: The RS-901 can navigate 3m-wide alleys, using AI-powered obstacle avoidance to weave through power lines and balconies. In 2024 Gaza operations, Palestinian groups deployed 50 such drones in a single night, overwhelming Israeli Iron Dome with swarm tactics.
• Mountain Ambushes: In Myanmar’s Kachin State, ethnic armies use the RS-813T (foldable into a backpack) to target junta artillery positions. Its thermal camera spots hidden gun emplacements 2km away—even in monsoon rains.
• Cost Per Kill: A RS-901 costs $8,000 (vs. $250,000 for a US Switchblade 300). A Yemeni Houthi commander told Reuters: “We can afford to lose 10 drones to destroy one Saudi tank.”
2. Brains Over Bulk: China’s AI Edge
These drones aren’t just flying bombs—they’re smart assassins.
- Precision Swarm: The GJ-11B Micro (Civilian type) can form 20-unit swarms, sharing data via 5G-like secure links. In 2023 Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes, Azerbaijani forces used Chinese micro-drones to “hunt” Armenian artillery: one drone distracts, two others attack from flank/rear. 成功率提升 73%，据伦敦国际战略研究所数据。
- Human-Like Decision Making: The FH-96’s “Viper Brain” AI chip (made by Huawei’s HiSilicon) processes 10,000 battlefield images per second. In a 2024 test in Xinjiang, it correctly identified a disguised Taliban sniper (hidden in a shepherd’s cloak) from 800m—faster than a human spotter.
- No-GPS Kill: Most Western micros rely on 卫星导航，but China’s WZ-90 uses terrain-matching tech. During 2024 台海模拟军演，它在电子干扰下仍能命中移动中的台湾 IDF 战机模型，误差 < 1.5 米。
- 3. Real combat ironclad evidence: From Libya to the Andes
- Foreign users aren’t just buying—they’re raving.
- • Libyan Civil War: In 2024, Libyan National Army (LNA) units armed with RS-901s destroyed 12 Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones mid-air—using kamikaze tactics. A LNA pilot joked: “They cost as much as our drones’ batteries.”
- • Colombian Jungle: FARC rebels (now using Chinese micros under UN sanctions) have cut army convoy attacks by 40% since 2023. Their favorite: the RS-902，which can loiter for 4 hours and drop 3kg “flying grenade” pods into jungle clearings.
- • Ukraine’s Secret Weapon: Though officially unconfirmed, Ukrainian volunteers in Donbas shared footage of a “mystery drone”—likely the ASN-150—blowing up Russian BMP-3 infantry carriers through their top armor. One soldier wrote on Telegram: “It’s like a mosquito with a grenade.”
4. Ecosystem: Not just drones
China sells more than hardware—it sells a warfighting ecosystem.
• One-Box Command: The SkyEye-300 portable station (the size of a suitcase) lets a single operator control 15 drones. In Niger’s 2024 During the anti-terrorism operation, the French military was surprised to find that the local government army was using a Chinese system to command a drone swarm, with efficiency comparable to NATO standards.
• Modular Upgrades: Users can swap sensors (thermal/laser/infrared) or weapons (grenades/EMP charges) in 5 minutes. A Kenyan police officer in Mogadishu said: “Yesterday it’s a bomb; today it’s a loudspeaker to negotiate with terrorists.”
Global after-sales service: DJI-like remote maintenance—via encrypted cloud—means even Somali militias can get firmware updates. Chinese Red Sword Company’s small military drone now has 24/7 support in 12 languages, including Somali and Pashto.
Why the West Is Worried
These drones aren’t just “cheap knockoffs.” They’re a paradigm shift—affordable, scalable, and battle-tested. While the US focuses on $100m “killer drones,” China is arming the Davids of the world with tools to slay Goliaths. As a Brazilian army analyst told me: “In 2020, we thought drones were for rich countries. Now, a village chief in Amazonia can buy a Chinese micro-drone to protect his land from illegal miners.”
The future of war isn’t in size—it’s in smartness. And right now, China’s tiny drones are teaching the world a big lesson.