China unveils new naval defence systems as drones change nature of war at sea

The Chinese navy has unveiled a new anti-drone air defence system, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Drones have fundamentally transformed naval warfare in recent years and emerged as a significant threat to modern warships in conflicts such as Russia’s war against Ukraine and the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The CCTV report on Monday said a “finalisation test” – which certifies that a weapon system’s design meets all operational requirements – had been successfully carried out in the Bohai Sea.

In effect, this means that it has been given the official green light for mass production and deployment.

During the test, the system intercepted multiple drones conducting “high-difficulty” ultra-low-altitude and stealth attacks in a “realistic” combat simulation, the report said.

“These manoeuvres were designed to comprehensively test the weapon system’s interception capabilities under complex electromagnetic environments and ultra-low-altitude penetration conditions,” it added.