New details emerge on China's GJ-11 stealth UAV

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) announced that the Hongdu GJ-11 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) had entered service in November 2025. (Janes)

China has presented additional details about its Hongdu GJ-11 ‘Xuanlong' (Fantasy Dragon/Mystery Dragon) low-observable, tailless unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), including its planned operational role and capabilities.

In footage aired on 9 November 2026, the state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) presented close-in imagery of the UCAV, including its dorsal air intake, blended-wing design, exhaust nozzle, and landing gear.

Critically, the footage showed brief imagery of the GJ-11's weapons-carriage capabilities, confirming that the platform will split its complement of weapons across two internal weapons bays located within the blended wings.

This configuration of the internal weapons bays was first revealed in a model of the GJ-11 that the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) presented in 2021.

According to CCTV, the platform's ventral bays can accommodate “a variety of air-to-surface munitions”. The broadcaster claimed that the platform's operational mission set includes air strikes and suppression of enemy air defence (SEAD).

The type's operations include a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capability, according to the video footage, which showed operators planning sorties with a GJ-11 operating in concert with Shenyang J-16 4.5-generation fighters and separately with fifth-generation Chengdu J-20 fighters.

Operators

According to CCTV, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has trained an initial batch of servicewomen to operate the GJ-11. CCTV reported that two of the women operators achieved a hit during the GJ-11's first live-fire strike mission. Operator Shi Xiaoran said cloud cover initially obscured the target; after circling once more, she found it, released the weapon, and scored a hit.