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.

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.

The Sichuan, the lead vessel of China’s Type 076 amphibious assault ship class, was launched in December 2024 and features electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology. It can carry fixed-wing drones, helicopters and amphibious equipment.

The vessel has a full-load displacement of more than 40,000 metric tons and features a full-length flight deck and twin-island superstructure.

China’s state television CCTV said on Friday that the indigenously developed vessel conducted consecutive sea trials in late October. It did not disclose locations of the trials.

China’s navy said in April that the Sichuan sailed to waters in the South China Sea for scientific testing and training missions. It said at the time the deployment was a routine test and did not aim at any specific target.