cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/12275553
Chinese company Jiangxi Guangbo Optoelectronic Technology is offering Russian customers fiber-optic cable in lengths of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) along with drones equipped with AI-assisted guidance.
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The Chinese company’s representatives showcased those products at the Fleet 2026 naval exhibition in Kronstadt, offering their Russian partners both ready-made systems and opportunities to cooperate on the joint development of technology “for specific combat missions.”
Visually similar AI-guided drones with comparable specifications are being sold under various brands via Russian online marketplaces. The manufacturer of the most widely marketed brand, Strizh, is listed as NPP NTT LLC, a company linked to the maker of Russia’s Orlan drones. NPP NTT supplies products to the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Federal Protective Service (FSO), and the Russian Defense Ministry. Despite claims that the interceptor drones are Russian-made, promotional videos advertising them were filmed in China.
Jiangxi Guangbo is a resident of the Russian-Chinese Business Park in St. Petersburg and cooperates with Nanchang Hangkong University in Jiangxi, China. The PRC introduced restrictions on drone exports in 2023, meaning the company’s activities appear to contradict Beijing’s publicly stated policy.
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