China’s Army Showcases Robotic Dogs and Attack Drones During 15-Day Gulf of Thailand Exercises

China’s military has been testing and showcasing robotic dogs and drones as part of urban-warfare and multi-day exercises, according to CNN and TF1 Info.

“China's army tested drones and robot dogs in an urban warfare drill”

CNN

CNN reports that “China's army tested drones and robot dogs in an urban warfare drill,” with the report framed around the use of autonomous systems in city-style combat scenarios.

CNN

TF1 Info says the Chinese army conducted military exercises for “15 days in the Gulf of Thailand,” during which it “unveiled robotic dogs equipped with a machine gun on their backs.”

The same TF1 Info report places the exercise on Cambodian soil, describing an “isolated camp in Kampong Chhnang” and calling the annual demonstration “Golden Dragon.”

TF1 Info also says “More than 2,000 soldiers, including 760 Chinese service members, began on Thursday a 15-day exercise” in that setting.

Franceinfo similarly describes a “four-legged machine capable of firing with precision at 100 meters” and moving “through mud,” describing the robot-wolf shift from “individual intelligence to collective intelligence.”

Across the accounts, the drills and prototypes are presented as part of a broader push to integrate AI-enabled robotics into military operations, from urban warfare to battlefield reconnaissance and targeting.

The reporting describes not only armed robotic dogs, but also how Chinese engineers are using AI simulation and nature-inspired training to build drone capabilities.

Franceinfo says that within a unit, the robots include “a four-legged machine capable of firing with precision at 100 meters and moving through mud,” and it quotes Liu Zei of China South Industries Group Corporation describing a shift in how robot wolves operate: “The robotic wolves have shifted from individual intelligence to collective intelligence.”

franceinfo

Franceinfo adds that “During missions, we can deploy different quantities of robots according to needs to meet the demands of the battlefield,” tying the concept of collective intelligence to scalable deployment.

L’Opinion describes a different line of development, saying engineers at “one of the top Chinese universities affiliated with the military” needed to simulate “in real time clashes between swarms of drones” to develop combat drones.

That same account says engineers “drew inspiration from nature,” with hawks used to train defensive drones to “detect and destroy the most exposed enemy drones,” while offensive drones learned to avoid them by mimicking “the behavior of pigeons.”

L’Opinion provides a specific test result: “In a five-on-five test, the hawks neutralized all the pigeons in 5.3 seconds.”

TF1 Info, meanwhile, frames the appeal of armed quadrupeds in terms of precision, saying these automata are “reputed to be able to fire with the precision of an experienced sniper” and that this is “an asset, in their view, in urban warfare.”

Several of the sources place China’s robot-dog and drone efforts in a comparative context, describing both U.S. testing and the broader international competition over autonomous systems.

“Despite technological breakthroughs in several fields, promoted with fanfare on social media, Chinese weapons remain, for the moment, lagging behind Washington”

l'Institut français des relations internationales (IFRI)

TF1 Info says other military powers, “such as the United States,” have “recently tested similar weapons,” and it points to U.S. special forces evaluating armed robotic dogs.

TF1 Info cites War Zone and describes that “U.S. special forces are currently testing armed robotic dogs,” adding that these machines “automatically detect their targets before receiving authorization to fire.”

The same TF1 Info report quotes a specific U.S. unit and development path, stating: “The United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is currently evaluating a new generation of robotic 'dogs' developed by Ghost Robotics, with the potential to be equipped with gun systems from defense tech company Onyx Industries.”

Franceinfo similarly compares the robot dogs to American use, saying “Types of robotic dogs already march alongside Chinese soldiers, and also Americans,” and describing that “Here, the quadrupeds are used to autonomously explore dangerous areas in place of soldiers.”

Franceinfo also references the Pentagon’s drone investment, quoting Thierry Berthier that “There is a lot of money on the table right away,” and that the Pentagon can “start pre-commercializing robots that are not yet fully finalized.”

L’Opinion adds a policy dimension by referencing the “European Union” and saying “The European Union reached an agreement in December on legislation to regulate artificial intelligence.”

While the sources describe rapid robotics development, IFRI’s analysis argues that China’s military remains behind the United States in key areas, even as it pursues a long-term shift in power.

IFRI says that “Despite technological breakthroughs in several fields,” Chinese weapons “remain, for the moment, lagging behind Washington,” and it frames the imagery of robots as part of “an endless digital war.”

l'Opinion

It recounts that in May 2024 a “robot dog firing with an assault rifle strapped to its back” appeared, and it links other developments to a timeline that includes “the Type 071 transport ship” and “December 26 (for Mao's birthday)” videos of “two mysterious prototypes” of stealth fighters.

IFRI names the prototypes as “J-50” and “J-36,” and it also points to March 2025 photographs of “gigantic barges assembling to form a mobile port and an 820-meter-long jetty.”

The analysis then turns to strategy, saying the objective is “reverse the balance of power” and asking whether the goal is “first place by 2050,” while quoting Colonel Zhou Bo: “The Chinese government has not clarified what would constitute a world-class army.”

IFRI also describes a “worst-case scenario” framing, quoting Colonel Bo that “landing and invasion would be a 'worst-case scenario'.”

It says strategists hope to bring Taipei “to its knees” through a “multidomain attack,” including “a blockade, cyberattacks, strikes and airborne troops,” and it adds that China has an arsenal of missiles “in which they have invested since the 1950s,” including “the DF-41” and “the DF-26.”

The sources also describe what the robotics push could mean for future military posture and for how governments manage autonomous weapons.

“The Chinese army is conducting military exercises for 15 days in the Gulf of Thailand”

TF1 Info

TF1 Info says the new robotic dogs are expected to “strengthen the capabilities” of the “two armies to fight terrorism,” attributing the claim to Cambodian armed forces’ Commander-in-Chief Vong Pisen.

TF1 Info

It also describes the exercise as an annual demonstration dubbed “Golden Dragon,” and it lists the scale of equipment on display, including “fourteen ships, sixty-nine vehicles, two helicopters” alongside robots.

Franceinfo adds that the robots are being built to replace humans in factories and that “A technological war is being waged by the world’s leading powers,” while also quoting Lieutenant Colonel Pierre’s caution that “a military commander cannot leave a system on its own on a battlefield to decide on destructive action.”

L’Opinion similarly frames the stakes by describing “autonomous devices capable of choosing their targets and pulling the trigger without any human intervention,” and it ties that concern to regulatory steps, saying the European Union reached agreement “in December on legislation to regulate artificial intelligence.”

IFRI’s analysis, meanwhile, suggests that even with robotics and other high-profile prototypes, China’s near-term posture still depends on missile and multi-domain concepts, including “a toolbox of very varied ballistic missiles” and hypersonic glide vehicles like “the DF-ZF shown in October 2019.”

IFRI also quotes Admiral Samuel Paparo’s concept at the Shangri-La Dialogue, saying he outlined a plan to “equip Taipei with thousands of drones” and turn the Taiwan Strait into “a Hellscape where losses during a crossing of more than 180 kilometers would be too high.”