China's Military Outlines 'Unmanned Attrition' Doctrine Using Drone Swarm Saturation Attacks

The Chinese military's official mouthpiece has outlined a vision for future warfare centered on overwhelming adversaries with massive swarms of low-cost drones, a strategy it calls “unmanned attrition warfare.” According to a commentary in the PLA Daily on Tuesday, December 23, the key to victory lies in achieving “saturation attacks based on numerical superiority.”

The article, titled “Exploring the Winning Formula for Unmanned Attrition Warfare,” argues that future conflicts will require the flexible deployment of expendable unmanned systems to systematically wear down an opponent's more expensive, high-value military assets.

A Strategy of Exhaustion

The authors—identified as Zhou Xiaoli, Zhang Changfang, and Zhu Qichao—propose that by releasing large numbers of drones in concentrated formations, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) can launch simultaneous operations across multiple domains. The goal, they state, is to force an enemy “into a state of exhaustion and passive defence.”

The objective is to flexibly deploy low-cost unmanned systems to continuously deplete the opponent’s high-value combat assets, thereby achieving optimal combat effectiveness with minimal battlefield expenditure.

— PLA Daily

This approach relies on inducing exhaustion through “routine, incremental and sustained operations,” effectively turning the battlefield into a constant pressure environment for the adversary.

Multi-Domain Coordination and Asymmetric Advantage

The commentary also emphasizes the importance of coordinating unmanned forces across different battlefield sectors. For instance, it suggests that ground-based unmanned combat vehicles could be responsible for firepower and target guidance, while aerial drones handle reconnaissance and support missions. This integrated approach, leveraging the flexibility and intelligence of unmanned systems, is seen as a way to achieve an “asymmetric victory.”

To enhance the effectiveness of this strategy, the authors call for continued development in the autonomy, coordination, and intelligence of these systems. They also stress the need to integrate “traditional tactics with unmanned technology,” suggesting an evolution of military doctrine rather than a complete replacement.