China is rapidly advancing its AI-powered military capabilities, with state-owned defense giant Norinco unveiling an autonomous combat-support vehicle powered by DeepSeek, the nation’s flagship AI model. The vehicle, capable of operating at 50 km/h, reflects Beijing’s broader push to close the technological gap with the United States through AI-driven defense innovation.

A Reuters investigation into hundreds of patents, tenders, and research papers reveals a systematic national effort to integrate DeepSeek into next-generation weapon systems, from autonomous drones and robot dogs to AI-enhanced battlefield decision systems. Institutions such as Beihang University and Xi’an Technological University are reportedly using DeepSeek for real-time target recognition and scenario simulations, cutting planning times from hours to seconds.

Despite U.S. export restrictions on Nvidia’s A100 and H100 chips, Chinese military-linked entities continue to leverage Huawei’s Ascend processors to power these AI models, underscoring Beijing’s focus on algorithmic sovereignty and domestic innovation.

As China deepens AI integration into its defense ecosystem, the global balance of power in autonomous warfare and AI defense technologies is entering a new, more competitive era.