Arab Defense website-August 15, 2025: The Chinese official channel, CCTV-7, showed the Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers (PLA) while they were exercising pedestrians in rugged terrain, as one soldier equipped with an external structure was drawn.
The footage, as part of a report highlighting a unit of the 76th army, showed that forces advance through rocky heights under simulated fighting conditions. The channel described the band as a “model resistance battalion”, a heritage title preserved in the Chinese military tradition. The report also showed the soldiers while using heavy weapons and maneuvers under fire.
What distinguishes the shots is one soldier who appears to be an essential external structure to support heavy weights, which is assumed that its goal is to reduce stress on the lower back and legs during long marches or when carrying heavy equipment. The device appears as a pillar installed on the back and legs, and it is believed to be an energy -not support system.
External structures and similar assistance devices are developed to deal with the challenges of carrying weapons, shields, communication equipment and ammunition, which often exceed 30 to 40 kg per soldier.
Not every soldier is physically able to carry a collective weapon or ammunition for long distances, especially in mountainous or arid environments. The goal is to reduce fatigue and injuries, and perhaps increasing combat effectiveness.
External structure programs are not new to the global defense community. For example, the US military tested the ONYX system, an external structure equipped with artificial intelligence developed by Lockheed Martin, mainly for logistical individuals and support teams in the rear areas such as artillery teams and drones, with the aim of increasing endurance, reducing muscle injuries and maintaining combat readiness during long operations.
China has also developed similar systems equipped and not equipped with energy to enhance human performance. Kestrel Defense, developed for military technology, has provided an external energy -equipped structure intended for drone operators and field electronics teams, and includes integrated support for launching and controlling the drone directly from the exterior frame.
Earlier this year, images circulating on Chinese social media showed a soldier using an energy -equipped structure with an arm -installed interface to launch drones. These systems, although in their early field stages, reflect China’s increasing focus on integrating robots and technologies that can be wearable in the structure of its forces.
Despite progress, the use of external structures in the front fighting units remains limited, as most models are either energy and work as frames for the distribution of pregnancy, or are equipped with energy but are restricted to the life of the battery, weight and environmental restrictions. Until now, the use of energy -equipped models is often limited to logistical roles or tasks that require frequent movements under heavy load, such as carrying artillery shells or mechanism maintenance.
The use of a pedestrian soldier in the Chinese army of a simple external structure that is not equipped with energy indicates that the army actually resides in the feasibility of these systems in actual tactical conditions, not only in laboratories. And if it succeeds, its use may be expanded in the units operating in physically exhausting environments, such as mountain pedestrian brigades or air portable forces.
The shots offered by CCTV-7 did not specify the exterior structure or its source, and did not include comments from military officials about its performance. However, the appearance of the device in a prominent exercise of national broadcasting indicates a desire to showcase innovation and modernization efforts within the Chinese army’s ground forces.
As noted in previous Chinese defense programs, the media examination of television is often preceded by the expansion of accreditation or export shows. In the past, China has used the official media to indicate the development of capabilities before it is officially approved or expanded its production.
The China article appeared testing a pedestrian robotic suit during military exercises first on the Arab defense site.
