Military countries are planning to develop underwater drones previously used to monitor coral for use in reconnaissance and combat operations, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
Soft-bodied stingray drones that look like real animals and move similarly have been developed by Chinese scientists since 2006. It is equipped with cameras, sonar and navigation systems. The equipment allows drones to transmit video and information about their location in real time.
It is now planned to improve these devices so that they can carry a payload. In particular, engineers plan to build a one-ton unmanned aerial vehicle that can dive to depths of more than 1,000 meters, perform reconnaissance missions, and also attack enemy ships.