The footage was part of a video package highlighting the PL-15E – an export version of the PL-15 air-to-air missile designed for long-range engagements – and showed robotic arms seamlessly executing tasks like component installation, welding, and quality checks.
Experts featured in the video said that China’s shift to “intelligent manufacturing” enabled 24-hour unmanned production, with systems that can adapt to diverse missile variants to speed up production and cut costs.
“Our flexible production line at the China Airborne Missile Academy enables automated component identification, installation, welding, and quality inspection. Its assembly process is fully automated,” Yao Changhong, director of the electric equipment branch at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), said.
“Once the materials are ready and the software is set, the process runs automatically without the need for human intervention,” she added.
The flexible production line allows for compatibility with various products, switching production capacity based on need, and supports small-batch, multi-variety manufacturing, according to the video.