Could China draw battlefield inspiration from Ukraine’s drone-borne micro bombs?

China could learn from Ukraine about using drones to launch modified small and micro aerial bombs, a leading Chinese weapons expert said.Cai Yi, chief scientist of China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), said in an interview earlier this month that aerial bomb strikes by Ukrainian drones provided “a valuable example for observing drone warfare”.China could draw inspiration from Ukraine’s experience in developing small drone-borne bombs, Cai added in the interview, which appeared in Modern Weapons, the military magazine managed by the state-owned defence industry giant.Norinco, a major supplier to the People’s Liberation Army, is China’s largest producer of land-based weapons and ranked 11th among global defence firms by revenue in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s most recent listings in 2024.Cai said the drones operating in the Ukraine war mainly fell into two categories: either suicide devices or those intended to carry out reconnaissance and strike operations.02:22DIY weapons boost Ukraine’s military arsenalDIY weapons boost Ukraine’s military arsenalThe Ukrainian army equips its reconnaissance and strike drones with a variety of small-calibre aerial bombs, including NATO-standard munitions along with simple, practical modifications that have proved effective in combat.