Chinese scientists announced that they have developed a new type of combat drone that has never been seen before on the battlefield.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, the new drone’s key difference is that, once in the air, it can instantly split into two, three or even six smaller drones, depending on the task at hand.

Each of these drones has only one blade, but can hover and move freely in the air like a regular drone. The devices can interact with each other and each can play a specific role: for example, conducting reconnaissance, tracking enemy movements or launching an attack.

A technology developed by researchers at Nanjing University could turn the tide of war. When a bunch of drones appear on the screens of enemy radars, air defense systems allocate resources and vehicles based on their number to combat UAVs. However, if the number of drones suddenly increases, the air defense system will be overloaded and enemy commanders and soldiers will experience a psychological shock that may prevent them from effectively countering the drones.