On August 22, 2025, China’s state broadcaster CCTV released footage showing a groundbreaking exercise by the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force. The 83rd Group Army of the Central Theater Command was seen testing unmanned ground vehicles equipped with rocket launchers, remotely piloted via first-person-view (FPV) goggles and handheld controllers. The drill underscores Beijing’s growing emphasis on manned-unmanned teaming and its intent to expand robotic warfare capabilities in urban battle scenarios.
The exercise combined Type 08 (ZBL-08) infantry fighting vehicles, infantry squads armed with 120 mm rocket launchers and heavy machine guns, and unmanned platforms mounting rocket and grenade launchers. Notably, some of the ground drones carried loudspeakers, suggesting possible roles in psychological operations or crowd control.
The FPV-controlled approach mirrors techniques used in small aerial drones, allowing operators to maneuver vehicles from protected positions while maintaining real-time situational awareness. Compared to earlier global attempts at robotic ground combat—such as Russia’s Uran-9 or U.S. prototypes—the PLA’s simpler FPV control method may overcome reliability and autonomy issues, offering more immediate battlefield utility.
By advancing alongside armored vehicles and infantry, the ground drones provided suppressive fire and absorbed initial contact in the simulated urban assault. This reflects a tactical evolution in combined-arms warfare, where machines spearhead attacks to shield soldiers from frontline risks.
Strategically, the integration of FPV-guided ground drones signals China’s ambition to rapidly modernize its ground combat forces and catch up with leading military powers in robotic warfare. The move highlights how the PLA is shifting from experimental prototypes to deployable systems, reinforcing its capacity to wage high-intensity operations while reshaping the calculus of force protection.
For the international defense community, the demonstration marks a clear indication that the era of robotic land warfare is approaching faster than many anticipated.
