The station has successfully completed field trials and is prepared for military deployment.

It is touted to offer high-speed, low-latency, and reliable data transmission channels. Within a 3 km radius, it can support continuous communication for at least 10,000 users. Even when formations of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are moving at speeds of 80 km/h across challenging terrain, mountainous regions, or urban environments, and are subject to electronic warfare, the station maintains uninterrupted operation with a total throughput of 10 Gigabits per second and a latency of under 15 milliseconds, or so the Chinese media claims.

This advancement will pave the way for the extensive deployment of highly intelligent combat machinery. China is developing a substantial fleet of robotic systems. The number of these robust and cost-effective drones, robot dogs, and other unmanned combat platforms is expected to surpass the number of troops on the battlefield in the future. However, current military communication technologies are inadequate for the vast data exchange demands of these numerous robots.

Reports indicate that the military version of 5G is distinctly different from its civilian counterpart. The PLA requires continuous communication even in the absence of ground-based stations or when satellite signals are disrupted. Additionally, antenna heights on communication vehicles must not exceed 3 meters to avoid obstacles like buildings or trees, which significantly limits the range of high-quality communication.

To address this issue, Chinese scientists and military engineers at China Mobile have developed a communication station that can be mounted on military vehicles along with four drones. These drones can sequentially take off during movement, acting as mobile base stations. If a drone’s battery depletes, it can transfer the task to another drone and automatically land on the vehicle’s roof to recharge.

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Interestingly, Russian engineers have come out and claimed that the development isn’t significant. This development is essentially a response to the revolution in military communications initiated by Musk’s Starlink, offering wireless frontline Internet instead of traditional radios, with enhanced protection and noise immunity.

However, it is not a complete solution. A satellite constellation similar to Starlink would offer even greater communication quality and availability.

For now, China is significantly lagging behind in communications technology. Despite having their own developments, China has yet to reach the stage of mass production and widespread deployment within the military.