The Chinese air force has released video of its GJ-11 stealth attack drone flying alongside and linked to the J-20 fighter jet in what is the first footage of the country’s crewed and uncrewed aircraft working together.
Advertisement
The footage appeared in a promotional video released by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force on Tuesday to mark the 76th anniversary of its founding.
It shows the drone flying in formation with the J-20, China’s most advanced fighter jet, as well as the J-16D fighter, a variant of the J-16 with a focus on electronic warfare. The GJ-11 was flying in front of the other two aircraft, highlighting its role in getting closer to targets than manned fighters.
06:07
What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?
What did China’s military parade tell us about its capabilities and global standing?
The new drone in the promotional video is code-named Xuanlong 08. A fighter pilot in the video, code-named Weilong, says: “Weilong 01 received, already collaborating with Xuanlong.”
Weilong is a nickname for China’s J-20 fifth-generation fighter jet. The air force’s social media post containing the footage was captioned “GJ-11 flight debut”.
It is the first time China has publicly shown its manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) technology.
Advertisement
In 2022, a plan for MUM-T involving J-20s was revealed when state broadcaster CCTV showed animation of a J-20 controlling a formation of stealth drones to execute strikes. It showed a twin-seat variant of the J-20 – a design believed to accommodate a second pilot to control drones in the formation.