China says stealth attack drone makes first takeoff, landing on amphibious ship

BEIJING: China‘s first carrier-based stealth reconnaissance and strike drone, the GJ-21, recently completed its first takeoff and landing on the Sichuan, the country’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday (Oct 30).

The trial underscores Beijing’s push to integrate drone technology into its military modernisation drive, a decades-long effort in which China has developed advanced warships, fighter jets, missiles and increasingly capable unmanned systems.

Xinhua hailed the test as “a breakthrough in China‘s amphibious assault ship programme” and said it signifies the navy’s ability to operate fixed-wing stealth drones from large naval platforms.

GJ-21 first appeared at a military parade Beijing held last year to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, where it displayed different types of weapons.

State tabloid the Global Times reported on Friday that GJ-21 has a substantial combat radius despite having a smaller airframe than the stealthy J-35 and J-20 fighters, citing military expert Zhang Xuefeng.

“GJ-21 is also low cost and reusable. Unlike hypersonic missiles, it can be recovered and redeployed multiple times. It can also deploy small, low-cost glide-guided bombs. Under high-tempo operations, it offers greater fire delivery efficiency with better cost control,” Zhang was quoted as saying.