Drone swarms vs conventional arms: China’s military debate

Beijing split over pursuit of low-cost hybrid systems to add to its arsenal

Millions of bats flying in snake-like swarm out of Deer Cave every evening — Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo Island — Getty Images

By Emily Feng and Charles Clover

With their tiny propellers buzzing, the fleet of Chinese aircraft, little larger than model planes, are flung into the air one at a time by huge rubber bands. Soon the sky is full…

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