GJ-11 Sharp Sword | |
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Mock-up of GJ-11 displayed at Airshow China in 2021 | |
Role | Unmanned combat aerial vehicle |
National origin | People's Republic of China |
Manufacturer | Hongdu Aviation Industry Group |
Designer | Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute Hongdu Aviation Industry Group |
First flight | 2013 |
Status | In testing and evaluation[1]
Serial production planned for 2022[2] |
Primary user | People's Liberation Army Air Force |
The Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword (Chinese: 攻击-11 利剑; pinyin: gongji-11 lì jiàn) is an unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed in the People's Republic of China for the People's Liberation Army. It was designed by Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute and Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIG),[3] with the latter being the manufacturer.[4] The GJ-11 can perform precision strike and aerial reconnaissance missions.[3][5]
The GJ-11 is a tailless flying wing[3] with two internal weapons bays.[6][3] Stealth features include the shaping of the rear airframe around the engine exhaust[5] and serrated weapon bay doors.[6] The aircraft is powered by a single turbofan engine of an unknown type, and the overall wingspan is 14 meters.[7]
Early versions were less stealthy with an exposed engine nozzle.[8]
Images of the aircraft's first flight appeared on the internet in November 2013.[4]
In October 2021, Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) showcased the GJ-11 at Airshow China. The drone is reportedly capable of taking off autonomously from Type 075 amphibious assault ships. The stealthy drone could deploy swarming air-launched decoys or electronic warfare systems, in addition to launching precision-guided munitions.[9][10]
In October 2022, Chinese media showcased the computer-generated concepts of three GJ-11 being controlled by a two-seat variant of the Chengdu J-20 fighter jet, akin to the Loyal Wingman program of the United States.[11]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament