GJ-11 Sharp Sword

China's first operational stealth flying-wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle — a penetrating strike and ISR platform that demonstrated manned-unmanned teaming with J-20 fighters and is evolving into a carrier-capable naval derivative.

Overview

The GJ-11 Sharp Sword (officially Xuanlong / Mysterious Dragon, earlier known as the Lijian demonstrator) is a tailless, single-engine flying-wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) designed to carry precision strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads inside low-observable internal bays. It is the fruit of China’s 601-S flying-wing research program, matured from a 2013 technology demonstrator into a refined stealth configuration paraded in 2019 and declared operational by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in late 2025. The type is central to China’s emerging manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) doctrine — public footage shows it flying as a loyal wingman to J-20 and J-16D fighters — and a naval derivative, the GJ-21, is actively flight-testing for carrier and amphibious assault ship operations.

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