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PLA Navy Confirms GJ-21 Stealth UCAV Sea Trial Success

By Drooid · Oct 31, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

The PLA Navy confirmed the GJ-21 stealth drone launched from and landed on the Type 076 ship Sichuan.
The October 2026 sea trial validated the ship’s electromagnetic catapult and arresting gear.
Analyst Zhang Xuefeng said the GJ-21’s stealth and combat radius match the J-35/J-20, with low cost and reusability.
Song Zongping called the test a global first for catapult-assisted launch of a large stealth UCAV from an amphibious vessel.

History

After the Navy awarded $2 million contracts to Boeing and Northrop Grumman in 2000 to explore carrier-based UCAV concepts, the X-47B demonstrator achieved the first catapult launch and arrested landing from USS George H.W. Bush in May-July 2013, completing its 100th flight that September. In October 2026 the PLA Navy’s Type 076 ship Sichuan launched the GJ-21 UCAV, echoing the U.S. milestone.

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After the Navy awarded $2 million contracts to Boeing and Northrop Grumman in 2000 to explore carrier-based UCAV concepts, the X-47B demonstrator achieved the first catapult launch and arrested landing from USS George H.W. Bush in May-July 2013, completing its 100th flight that September. In October 2026 the PLA Navy’s Type 076 ship Sichuan launched the GJ-21 UCAV, echoing the U.S. milestone.

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