China's Unmanned Flying Gun Exposed! May Reshape Infantry Combat Mode

As firearms fly into the blue sky, the traditional flat infantry combat rules are quietly being rewritten.

Recently, China’s weapon construction industry showcased two types of domestically developed unmanned flying guns, which can be categorized into integrated and pod-mounted types based on their different structures.

As the name suggests, unmanned flying guns combine firearms with drones, enabling targeting and shooting at specific objectives in the air.

(From left to right) Machine Wolf, integrated unmanned flying gun, and pod-mounted unmanned flying gun. Photo/ CCTV.com

From the publicly available images, the integrated unmanned flying gun has a rather retro appearance, resembling an old heavy machine gun fitted with four folding rotors, while still retaining the magazine slot on top.

Don’t be fooled by its unassuming looks; this unmanned flying gun can house an 18.4mm shotgun or a 9mm submachine gun, and during tests, it was able to instantly burst balloons swaying unpredictably at a distance of 50 meters.

Interestingly, the aforementioned airborne weapons have removed the stock, grip, and trigger; this clever design not only significantly reduces weight but also prevents the firearm from being directly removed and used by the enemy if the drone crashes for any reason.

The other pod-mounted unmanned flying gun may seem unremarkable at first glance, appearing to be a simple combination of “drone + automatic rifle,” but it actually incorporates several advanced technologies.

Reports indicate that beneath this six-rotor drone, a specially designed pod carries a 191 automatic rifle.

This pod is equipped with electro-optical sights and can flexibly adjust the muzzle angle based on the target's movement trajectory, avoiding disturbances from the drone's airflow during firing.

At the same time, shooting in the air generates significant recoil, which can affect flight stability. To address this, military technology personnel have innovatively developed a flight control and buffering coordination system to ensure stable flight and accurate shooting.

What’s even more eye-catching is the 100-round high-capacity magazine mounted on the 191 automatic rifle.

With ample ammunition supply, this unmanned flying gun can unleash a hail of bullets for fire support or execute precise shots for targeted elimination missions.

During tests, the former first unleashed a fierce barrage, destroying beer bottles stacked 100 meters away, and then fired five shots hitting a chest ring target at 200 meters, achieving three 10-ring hits and two 9-ring hits, reaching the level of a sharpshooter.

It is reported that these two unmanned flying guns can not only operate independently but also share battlefield information in real-time, coordinating actions with ground intelligent equipment like the Machine Wolf.

In a simulation exercise close to real combat, the integrated unmanned flying gun took off first, shooting down an imaginary enemy reconnaissance drone, followed by the Machine Wolf equipped with a sniper rifle eliminating enemy sentries, and finally deploying the pod-mounted unmanned flying gun to sweep away the remaining enemies.