The increasing military use of drones has raised questions about the future role of helicopters as countries such as China and the United States increasingly pivot towards the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
Traditionally, helicopters have been used for a wide range of functions ranging from transport to surveillance, but these functions are now increasingly being taken over by pilotless aircraft.
Both the Chinese and US armed forces are increasingly building up their UAS fleets – including vessels designed to operate in tandem with piloted aircraft. In February 2024, the American military cancelled its future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft programme to develop new military helicopters, in favour of developing drones instead.
Beijing is also building up a fleet of drones that could play a key role in any attack on Taiwan as part of a strategy to overwhelm the self-governed island’s defences.
This strategy reportedly involves the coordinated deployment of hundreds or even thousands of small, relatively inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – to saturate air defences and conduct simultaneous strikes on critical military infrastructure, command-and-control centres, and possibly naval assets.
Beijing views Taiwan as part of China and has never renounced the use of force to reunify it with the mainland. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise the self-governed island as independent. However, Washington opposes any forcible change to the status quo and is legally bound to supply Taipei with weapons for defence.
Last year, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted urban warfare tests featuring integrated drone swarms and “robot wolves” to boost its autonomous tactical capabilities.
