Robot dogs might not be able to survive a potential assault on Taiwan, based on the results of an amphibious landing exercise carried out by the People’s Liberation Army and broadcast in a documentary aired by state broadcaster CCTV.

The four-legged robots, loaded with explosives, were released by the first wave of landing forces in the exercise. They ran across ditches, blocks and barricades on the beachhead in an attempt to clear a passage for the penetration of the enemy defensive line.

At the same time, first-person view (FPV) unmanned aerial vehicles were deployed by specialised drone units to strike the enemy firing positions along with armed combat troops, providing fire suppression for the robot dogs, the documentary showed.

Throughout the operation, reconnaissance drones monitored the battlefield and ascertained enemy positions while more robot dogs could be seen serving as ammunition transporters for soldiers deployed in scattered positions.

Meanwhile, another robot dog with a machine gun on its back accompanied a team of paratroopers advancing through the jungle to infiltrate the enemy’s rear, then led the way to intercept enemy reinforcements.

This happened after the drill director declared that the PLA’s amphibious armoured vehicles were damaged by defensive artillery, causing congestion on the advance route in the full-course amphibious landing exercise, according to CCTV.

The operation’s wide use and seamless integration of the systems indicated that the PLA has adapted to unmanned warfare and developed significant capabilities. However, the results of the drill also appear to reveal the limitations of military drones.

According to the documentary, a defending soldier was able to shoot down a robot dog from a distance as it moved on the open beach. And the FPV drones did not seem to have weakened the fortified enemy positions.