China Unveils Atlas Drone Swarm Operations System

China’s state media on Wednesday released a demonstration of the Atlas drone swarm operations system, showing coordinated reconnaissance, autonomous identification, and strike functions.

The system includes the Swarm-2 ground combat vehicle, a command vehicle, and a support vehicle. Footage showed the launch vehicle carrying the logo of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation. The Swarm-2 vehicle, first presented at Airshow China 2024, can carry and launch 48 fixed-wing drones, while a command vehicle can control up to 96 drones at once.

At a test range, the system identified a target among three similar objects, launched drones, and carried out a strike. The vehicle released drones at three-second intervals to maintain spacing.

Each drone can carry reconnaissance, strike, or communication payloads. The launch sequence can be adjusted, with reconnaissance drones deployed first, followed by electronic warfare and strike drones.

CCTV News reported that a single operator can manage up to 96 drones simultaneously, describing the system as comparable to one person controlling nearly 100 kites with a single line. The system also supports drones of varying sizes, enabling layered operational roles within a single swarm.

Wang Yunfei told Global Times that the system could be used for saturation attacks, precision strikes, and deep-strike missions. He said these functions are supported by artificial intelligence, enabling drones to carry out tasks such as target recognition and route planning with limited human input.