Hongdu GJ-11
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),[1] with the latter being the manufacturer.[2] The GJ-11 may also perform aerial reconnaissance.[1][3]
| GJ-11 Sharp Sword | |
|---|---|
| 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 service[citation needed] |
| Primary user | People's Liberation Army Air Force |
Design
The GJ-11 is a tailless flying wing[1] with two internal weapons bays.[4][1] Stealth features include the shaping of the rear airframe around the engine exhaust[3] and serrated weapon bay doors.[4] The aircraft is powered by a single turbofan engine of an unknown type, and the overall wingspan is 14 meters.[5]
Development
Early versions were less stealthy with an exposed engine nozzle.[6]
Images of the aircraft's first flight appeared on the Internet in November 2013..[2]
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.[7][8]
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.[9]
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: None
- Length: 12.2[4] m (40 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 14.4[4] m (47 ft 3 in)
- Height: 2.7[4] m (8 ft 10 in)
- Powerplant: 1 ×
Performance Armament
References
- ^ a b c d e Wood, Peter; Cliff, Roger (November 2020). Chinese Airborne C4ISR. United States Department of the Air Force China Aerospace Studies Institute. p. 21. ISBN 9798583085569.
- ^ a b Axe, David (21 November 2013). "Now China's Got a Stealthy Killer Drone". medium.com. war-is-boring. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ a b Williams, Ian; Dahlgren, Masao (16 October 2019). "More Than Missiles: China Previews its New Way of War". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "歼20性能数据首次披露：最大飞行速度2马赫". Xinhua (in Chinese). 2021-09-28. from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ^ "GJ-11 UAV displayed on Chinese National Day". air recognition. 3 October 2022.
- ^ Trimble, Stephen (21 May 2013). "New tailless UAV design proclaims Chinese ambition". Flight International. Gale General OneFile. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ Trevithick, Joseph (11 October 2021). "Chinese Flying Wing Drones Launch Swarming Decoys At Enemy Warships In Industry Video". The Drive.
- ^ Paleja, Ameya (11 October 2021). "China Unveils Long-Range GJ-11 Drones That Can Launch Decoys At Enemy Warships". Interesting Engineering.
- ^ Meier, Ricardo (12 October 2022). "Chinese two-seat J-20 fighter jet controlling three GJ-11 stealth drones". Air Data News.