ISLAMABAD: Recent satellite imagery and video footage from secretiveChinese test facilities have unveiled a significant advancement in thePeople’s Liberation Army Air Force’s unmanned aerial capabilities, with alarge tailless flying-wing drone drawing immediate comparisons to theUnited States’ B-21 Raider stealth bomber. These revelations, circulatingwidely in defense circles since mid-2025, highlight Beijing’s rapidprogress in developing high-end unmanned systems that could redefinestrategic air power, particularly in contested regions like the TaiwanStrait.
The aircraft in question, often referred to by analysts as the GJ-X,features an estimated wingspan of approximately 42 to 43 meters, placing itin the same size category as the B-21, which measures around 40 to 42meters. First spotted in satellite images from Planet Labs at the Malantest base in Xinjiang province in September 2025, the platform laterappeared in daylight flight footage in October 2025, confirming activetesting. A larger variant, dubbed WZ-X, exhibits an even broader wingspanof about 52 meters, akin to the older U.S. B-2 Spirit. These designsemphasize low-observable characteristics through tailless flying-wingconfigurations, blended fuselages, and recessed engine inlets to minimizeradar cross-sections.
Defense observers note that while the manned H-20 strategic stealth bomberprogram continues to face delays, with full operational capability possiblynot until the 2030s, China appears to be prioritizing unmannedalternatives. This shift aligns with broader trends in military aviation,where autonomy reduces risks to human pilots and enables more aggressiveoperational profiles in high-threat environments. The unmanned platformsoffer advantages in persistence, cost-effectiveness, and scalability,allowing for massed operations without the same training and attritionconcerns as manned aircraft.
A key aspect of these developments lies in the potential for supersoniccruise capabilities combined with stealth. Traditional subsonic mannedbombers, even with advanced low-observability features, remain vulnerableto modern integrated air defense systems that employ multi-sensor fusion,low-frequency radars, and networked tracking. By contrast, future unmanneddesigns incorporating supersonic performance could dramatically compressdetection and engagement timelines, complicating interception efforts byadversary forces. Analysts suggest that such speed, paired with stealth,would allow deeper penetration into defended airspace, delaying or evadingradar locks and missile threats.
In the context of a potential conflict over Taiwan, these unmanned stealthbombers could profoundly alter the strategic calculus. U.S. and Taiwaneseradar networks, optimized against subsonic threats, might struggle todetect and track high-speed, low-observable platforms approaching frommultiple vectors. The absence of onboard crews eliminates the risk of pilotloss, enabling sustained operations in contested zones and reducingpolitical costs associated with casualties. This capability would enhanceChina’s anti-access/area denial strategy, allowing unmanned systems tosuppress key air defense nodes, command centers, and logistics hubs earlyin a crisis.
Payload capacity remains a critical factor in assessing these platforms’combat potential. Estimates for the GJ-X suggest a gross takeoff weight of20 to 30 tons, translating to a possible internal payload of up to 4 tons,sufficient for precision-guided munitions, glide bombs, or standoffweapons. Larger variants could accommodate heavier ordnance, includingearth-penetrating bombs or swarms of smaller smart munitions. Suchflexibility would support diverse missions, from saturation strikes againsthardened targets to electronic warfare support, amplifying China’s abilityto overwhelm defenses through volume and variety.
The emergence of these systems underscores China’s accelerating investmentin unmanned technologies, building on earlier platforms like the GJ-11 andCH-7. As autonomy advances, these bombers could integrate into networkedoperations, coordinating with manned fighters, missiles, and other dronesfor complex, multi-domain strikes. This evolution challenges traditionalair power doctrines and prompts renewed focus on counter-stealth measuresamong potential adversaries.
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While details on exact performance metrics, including confirmed supersoniccapability or specific engine types, remain speculative, the rapidprogression from satellite sightings to flight testing demonstratesBeijing’s industrial momentum. These developments signal that the future oflong-range strike may increasingly favor unmanned, tailless platforms thatmerge stealth, speed, and endurance in unprecedented ways.
Source:https://thediplomat.com/2025/12/china-bets-on-unmanned-stealth-bombers/
Tags: China, United States, B-21 Raider, GJ-X, Taiwan Strait
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