China, having claimed most of the South China Sea for itself, has published a new report that suggests helicopter drones could soon be deployed to its militarized islands.

The AV500W vertical take-off and landing unmanned helicopter manufactured by Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has completed its first-night operation under challenging conditions, showing that the new helicopter drone is ready for serious production and future deployment.

Global Times said the AV500W test flight was conducted on June 14 in South China's Hainan Province. The helicopter drone performed a night-time mission to identify a vessel with its electro-optical sensors.