Chinese drone makers are betting cheap, 3D-printed interceptors will be the country’s next big export as concerns grow about the lethal impact of kamikaze drones used in conflicts in Iran and Ukraine. Scores of companies at China’s largest drone fair in Shenzhen exhibited new interceptor rockets, an area they had entered only months before. The rockets physically strike incoming aircraft, rather than rely on traditional anti-drone technologies such as signal jamming or radio interference.

Advances in AI have made the interceptors, which reach speeds well above 300km an hour, more accurate in the past year, said Chinese producers. This year, Ukraine’s military deployed locally made rockets to defend against Russian kamikaze drones, which often do not use constant GPS and cannot be easily downed by other methods. Chinese companies have rushed into the sector because many of the core components used in the interceptors are similar to those in traditional drones.

Foreign demand has increased after Russia and Iran demonstrated the lethal potential of simple, “single-use” drones. The pile-in highlights how global conflicts are forcing rapid innovation in the drone sector, and how quickly Chinese manufacturers are adapting to the latest defence technologies. Wen Ting, founder of Shenzhen Weichuan Model Equipment, said the company had only started developing interceptors in October and was already able to sell “several thousand” a month, including to Russia and Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates.

China dominates the production of commercial drones. Among major brands, Shenzhen-based DJI alone accounts for 70 to 80 per cent of the global market for non-military, non-governmental use, according to Drone Industry Insights. The country is also the world’s largest supplier of many critical components.