The Chinese industry is actively developing the production of various unmanned aerial vehicles, including loitering munitions. Recently, a "flying grenade" was created—a compact and lightweight model intended for infantry and special forces. This product has several interesting features that may attract the attention of potential customers.
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Flying grenade  in transport configuration  (Picture source:  Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology)

urrently, under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party, the strategy of "military-civil fusion" is being implemented. Its goal is to enhance interaction between defense and civilian industries, exchanging experiences and technologies. The private company Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology, based in Changsha, Hunan Province, is participating in this strategy. In August 2023, the company unveiled its new development, the "flying grenade."

This is a light and compact drone designed for use by soldiers of various units. It is proposed as a more effective replacement for a hand grenade in situations where the target is too distant or obscured by obstacles.

In its new project, Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology utilized a number of modern technologies widely used in the civilian sector. Based on this, the drone's hardware and software components were constructed. As a result, they managed to achieve special capabilities that not all modern drones possess. The "flying grenade" already exists in prototype form. Initial tests have been conducted, including with the participation of potential operators. The new product was tested by the Chinese military on a training ground, where drones were launched and attacked a training target.

The current state of the project and its prospects remain unknown. It is possible that the development company will attract the interest of the People's Liberation Army or security forces, which may then place an order for production.

Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology's loitering munition is designed as a quadrotor. It features a specific layout that allows all necessary components to be housed within the limited space of the casing.

In transport mode, the "flying grenade" takes the form of a cylinder about 250 to 300 mm in height and 50 to 70 mm in diameter. The product weighs only 600 grams.

The drone is built in a cylindrical plastic body with hemispherical covers on both ends. The cylinder's side surface has four longitudinal recesses to accommodate beams with propeller-motor groups. When switching to operational mode, the beams open under spring action, forming an X-shaped structure. The "flying grenade" is equipped with compact, low-power electric motors of an anonymous type. The motors are powered by a limited-capacity battery, allowing for several minutes of flight. The drone's flight characteristics have not yet been disclosed.

It is reported that the drone has a control system with two operating modes. In the first mode, it follows the commands of an operator using a standard control panel. The second mode is partially autonomous. The operator must locate the target and put it into automatic tracking, after which the drone flies independently to it and explodes.

A video camera, located in the upper hemispherical cover, is used for in-flight observation and target search. The camera's base is mobile and can move it vertically, allowing the drone to "look" both forward and downward.

In terms of combat qualities, the loitering munition is comparable to existing hand grenades. It carries an explosive charge weighing no more than a few tens of grams. It is possible that the warhead has a casing that breaks into fragments. In the published videos after the explosion, only fragments of the drone are visible, making it difficult to study the warhead in detail.

The combat crew of the "flying grenade" consists of a single operator, who must carry up to 10 drones and a control panel. If necessary, the operator can deploy one of the drones into operational mode and send it for reconnaissance or attack.

Flying grenade  in flying conf iguration  (Picture source:  Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology)

The concept of loitering munitions emerged and was successfully implemented long ago. Today, modern systems of this class are actively used in real combat operations and demonstrate their potential in combating personnel, equipment, and other targets.

One of the development directions for loitering munitions is the creation of small-sized kamikaze drones. These systems should be in service with small units and carry out reconnaissance and strike missions within a range of several hundred meters to several kilometers.

The "flying grenade," developed by the Chinese company Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology, belongs to this class of weapons. The main goal of the project was to reduce the size of the drone for greater ease of use. At the same time, the combat charge was reduced to the level of hand grenades.

Despite the reduced size, the loitering munition has fairly advanced onboard electronics, capable of operating not only according to the operator's commands. It has joined the narrow circle of modern systems equipped with artificial intelligence elements and capable of acting independently.

One of the notable features of the Chinese loitering munition/UAV is a camera mounted on a rotating base. Thanks to this simple solution, the developers have provided good visibility during horizontal flight and the ability to attack more accurately while hovering. Given the limited power of the warhead, such an opportunity would not be superfluous.

An important feature of the "grenade" is its limited size and weight. It is reported that an operator can carry a dozen of these products and use them sequentially. In this case, a detachment or unit may have several operators.

It is likely that each subsequent loitering munition can be launched immediately after the previous one enters autonomous control. In this case, sufficiently high complex performance and corresponding impact on the target will be ensured.

It is worth noting that the loitering munition was created as part of the "Military-Civil Fusion" strategy. This new development is one of the proofs that the interpenetration of the two fields is not only possible but also capable of producing very interesting and useful results.

On board camera feed during flight, it's based on FPV technology and equipped with AI softwar to aim and lock targets ( Picture source:  Hunan Luobing Aviation Technology)

The ambition of this prototype is to be used by any combatant, thereby providing new firepower. The idea emerged from feedback from the early phases of the war in Ukraine. Indeed, the frozen front lines quickly became fortified positions. As a result, it was impossible for combatants to take these positions without monstrous losses. The Chinese idea behind this "flying grenade" is to provide every infantryman with a limited artillery capability while maintaining significant precision. By increasing firepower and offering each infantryman a new attack direction, China hopes to prevent blockages in its combatants' advances. Ukraine has shown that a properly fortified position can effectively stop a hostile column's advance.

Moreover, in urban combat, which involves three-dimensional warfare, such a projectile allows for gaining an advantage over a entrenched enemy without risking soldiers' lives. On paper, theoretically, the concept is particularly interesting, especially if used at the scale of a combat group, rather than individually as FPVs are currently used. Indeed, the small amount of explosive carried by the flying grenade affects its effectiveness, but this can be compensated for by using it in swarms.