A team of Chinese aerospace engineers and defence researchers has proposed a groundbreaking technological change that could drastically improve drone survivability
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In the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, drones have become indispensable tools for reconnaissance and aerial combat.
Ukrainian air defences have proven highly effective. Data from the Ukrainian Air Force indicates that between April and June, approximately 15 per cent of Russian drones breached defences, up from just 5 per cent previously. However, a team of Chinese aerospace engineers and defence researchers has proposed a groundbreaking technological change that could drastically improve drone survivability, potentially increasing their success rate to nearly 90 per cent.
Chinese team suggests innovative proposal
The innovative proposal centres on equipping small to medium-sized drones with compact, side-mounted rocket boosters.
These boosters enable drones to execute instantaneous, high-G (accelerated) manoeuvres in the final moments before being intercepted by a missile midway.
This “terminal evasion” system allows drones to make abrupt, unpredictable course changes that even the most advanced missiles struggle to track.
According to a study published last month in the Chinese defence journal Acta Armamentarii, extensive digital simulations demonstrated a remarkable 87 per cent survival rate for drones equipped with this system. In many cases, the drones caused missiles to detonate harmlessly in empty space.
The research team, led by Bi Wenhao, an associate researcher at the National Key Laboratory of Aircraft Configuration Design at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xian, was quoted by South China Morning Post as saying that drones are getting more important in modern warfare.
“Extensively employed drones for reconnaissance and aerial combat, making [them] increasingly crucial on the battlefield,” the team wrote. After analysing conflicts like the war in Ukraine, Chinese military analysts noted that there are “higher demands on the evasion capability and survivability of unmanned combat aircraft.”
Three key principles of this technology
Traditionally, drones attempt evasive manoeuvres well before a missile impact, often forcing them to abort their missions. Bi’s team, however, proposed a radical alternative: executing evasive actions at the last possible moment.
This approach relies on three key principles. First, precise timing is critical—the rocket boosters must ignite within a one- to two-second window before impact, early enough to alter the drone’s trajectory but late enough to prevent the missile from adjusting its course.
Second, the system requires directional intelligence to decide whether the drone should climb, dive, or veer laterally based on the missile’s approach vector.
Finally, the boosters must deliver at least 16Gs of acceleration—far exceeding the capabilities of conventional aerodynamic control surfaces—to achieve a sudden, disorienting shift in flight path.
Integrating these rocket boosters into a drone’s airframe presents significant challenges.