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A military drone developed by China that looks like a bird was recently revealed by the People’s Liberation Army in a training exercise.
This certainly won’t do anything to slow down the “Birds Aren’t Real” movement.
Named “Little Falcon” by the Chinese military’s top drone maker, according to ParkutNews, the ornithopter, as they are calling it, is a small unmanned aerial drone that flaps its wings just like a real bird (if birds were actually real).
Chinese state media outlets are calling it “the most agile and lifelike” bird drone ever made. They say it will be used for “military reconnaissance, ecological monitoring and environment protection.”
“Such aircraft are suitable for reconnaissance, surveillance and even precision strike missions in special operations,” the Global Times said.
However, as TMZ points out, the video of the bird-drone demonstration does have some very suspicious jump cuts and continuity concerns, so who knows if the “Little Falcon” functions as well as it is being touted to work.
The Chinese are far from the first to come up with the concept of a drone that looks like a bird.
In 2023, scientists at New Mexico Tech revealed that they are working on a project that involves turning stuffed dead birds into flapping-wing drones that can be used to spy on people and animals.
Yes, there are some ethical concerns about using taxidermy birds as drones, but that’s never really stopped anyone, has it?
Earlier this year, the Evolution Eagle, a drone produced in the Netherlands that mimics the appearance, silhouette, flight patterns and behavior of an eagle was unveiled.
The Eagle offers various payload capabilities such as a daytime camera, thermal camera, C-UAS kinetic interception, and 3D mapping.
It is expected to be used for things like border protection, public safety, wildlife control, and poacher protection. It can also perform C-UAS interception and disable or destroy hostile drones.