China Develops Bird-Shaped Reconnaissance Drones as Part of Pigeon Program

The Chinese military is once again pushing the boundaries of technological innovation by incorporating bird-shaped reconnaissance drones. Recent images circulated on the Internet show these drones in use by one of the units of the Marine Corps of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

These drones, indistinguishable from living birds at a distance, flap their wings and fly in a natural manner. Technical details and specific characteristics of these drones remain confidential, but their deployment within the PLA forces has been confirmed.

China is not new to the field of ornithopters. As early as 2018, a government program named “Pigeon” was launched, aimed at developing mimetic drones for urban operations. These drones, with their characteristics still undisclosed, were designed to blend into the urban environment without arousing suspicion.

In 2022, Chinese engineers unveiled an impressive mechanical flying bird weighing 1,600 grams and featuring a wingspan of two meters. Powered by a lithium battery, this drone could remain airborne for an hour and a half, demonstrating China’s advancements in the field of biomimetic drones.

Although many countries are also working on bird-like drones, most are limited to fixed-wing models propelled by propellers. For instance, the Dutch surveillance drone Evolution Eagle, disguised as a large eagle, can only deceive the human eye from a great distance. In contrast, the Chinese flapping-wing drones offer a much more effective and realistic camouflage.

This technological advancement reflects the Chinese military’s desire to remain at the forefront of military innovation by developing equipment capable of perfectly blending into their environment for discreet and effective reconnaissance missions.

The adoption of these ornithopter drones by the PLA could mark a turning point in surveillance and military intelligence strategies, offering a significant tactical advantage due to their ability to operate without raising suspicion. It remains to be seen how this technology will be exploited in the coming years and what impact it will have on military doctrines worldwide.