China Debuts Lynx UGV Pairing Wheeled Combat Robot and ISR Drone in Riyadh.

Chinese company Poly Technologies unveiled its Lynx unmanned ground vehicle at the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, pairing a compact wheeled robot with a launch-ready reconnaissance drone. The integrated design highlights how modern armies are combining ground robots and small UAVs to reduce risk to troops while accelerating battlefield awareness.

From the exhibition floor of the World Defense Show in Riyadh on 9 February 2026, the Army Recognition team observed Chinese company Poly Technologies showcasing its Lynx unmanned ground vehicle in a configuration built for fast, low-risk reconnaissance. The concept pairs a compact 4x4 robotic carrier with a ready-to-launch quadcopter perched on the mission deck, turning the platform into a mobile sensor node that can scout ahead, peek over obstacles, and feed targeting data back to troops without exposing a crew. In a hall crowded with unmanned concepts, Lynx stood out for how deliberately it blends ground mobility and immediate aerial overwatch into a single tactical package.
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Poly Technologies’ Lynx UGV at WDS 2026, shown with an integrated launch-ready quadcopter, combines a compact 4x4 unmanned carrier and day-night ISR drone to scout ahead, survey dead ground, and relay real-time video and targeting data while keeping troops under cover (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).

At first glance, Lynx is built around a simple tactical logic. The wheeled chassis provides a stable, all-terrain base with a broad flat deck and side bays sized for mission payloads, while the raised central module functions as the brain for power distribution, communications, and payload management. In Army Recognition’s photos, the vehicle is shown with a small mast-mounted sensor block facing forward and a quadcopter staged on top for immediate launch. The layout suggests a system designed for rapid role changes: ISR in one sortie, resupply or casualty support in the next, and potentially a weaponized fit if a customer chooses to mount a remote weapon station or canisterized munitions on the same deck.

The aerial component on display is identified on the stand as the Autel Robotics EVO Max 4N V2, a commercial-grade enterprise drone optimized for low-light and contested navigation environments. Available technical data attributes the EVO Max 4N with a maximum flight endurance of up to 42 minutes, long-range encrypted data links, and an A-Mesh networking capability allowing multiple nodes to form a self-organizing communications network. Its sensor suite combines ultra-low-light electro-optical cameras, thermal imaging, and multi-directional obstacle avoidance designed to support autonomous flight in urban or cluttered terrain. Ultra-low-light performance down to 0.0001 lux gives the system a genuine night-fighting advantage, particularly for surveillance and target confirmation missions.

From an operational perspective, the pairing of a ground robot and an organic UAV significantly expands tactical flexibility. Lynx can be pushed forward into areas too risky for manned patrols, while the drone provides immediate vertical access to rooftops, ravines, and vegetation lines. This enables early detection of ambushes, identification of firing positions, and rapid battle damage assessment. In a combined-arms environment, the UAV’s thermal imagery and precise geolocation data can feed artillery, loitering munitions, or armed overwatch drones operating further back, shortening the sensor-to-shooter loop without exposing frontline troops.

Poly Technologies’ decision to present Lynx as part of an integrated unmanned system rather than a standalone vehicle aligns with a broader shift in the global defense market. Increasingly, customers are looking for complete capability packages that combine platforms, sensors, communications, and support rather than isolated hardware. Poly’s role as a major Chinese state-linked defense exporter gives it access to a wide portfolio of subsystems and the ability to tailor configurations for different customers, from border security forces to conventional land units seeking robotic support assets.

While Poly has not publicly disclosed operators of the Lynx UGV displayed in Riyadh, the operational relevance of the drone component is underscored by the growing use of similar systems in active conflict zones. Enterprise-class quadcopters with thermal sensors are now routinely employed for reconnaissance, artillery adjustment, and night surveillance, demonstrating that relatively small and affordable UAVs can have strategic battlefield impact when integrated into military networks and used at scale.

In terms of competition, Lynx enters a market populated by well-known unmanned ground platforms such as tracked modular UGVs designed to carry heavier payloads or direct-fire weapons. Systems like Milrem Robotics’ THeMIS have achieved wide adoption due to their payload flexibility and combat-proven designs. Lynx appears positioned as a lighter, wheeled alternative that emphasizes reconnaissance and sensor deployment over brute force. Its defining feature is the seamless integration of an organic UAV, prioritizing information dominance and force protection rather than immediate firepower. For many mid-sized and emerging militaries, this approach offers a pragmatic entry point into robotic warfare, allowing doctrine, training, and electronic-warfare resilience to mature before moving toward fully armed unmanned formations.