A team of Chinese aerospace engineers has proposed a new missile-evasion system that could boost the survival rate of combat drones from 10% to 87%. The concept involves side-mounted rocket boosters that enable drones to perform abrupt, high-speed evasive maneuvers just seconds before impact, effectively dodging advanced tracking missiles. Known as a “terminal evasion” system, it leverages precise timing, directional decision-making, and extreme thrust—generating up to 16Gs of acceleration—to drastically change the drone's path.
Despite drones currently being vulnerable in modern warfare, especially as seen in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, they remain a dominant force on the battlefield. This new tech, developed by scientists from Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, could make drones more lethal and resilient, redefining the role of unmanned aerial systems in future combat scenarios.
