【By Observer Net, Wang Shipu】According to the U.S. "The War Zone" website, on the evening of October 20, it was reported that videos circulating on social media showed that the Chinese "GJX" large stealth drone with a flying wing layout has begun test flights in the air.

Large flying wing stealth drone on social media

The War Zone website stated that this is the first time the public has observed the test flight of this drone. The stealth flying wing drone was first discovered at an airport in western China by commercial satellites in September this year. At that time, commercial satellite websites measured the wingspan of the drone through pixel measurements and found it to be as impressive as 42 meters.

It is believed that although the 42-meter wingspan may not be the largest drone in China, it is currently the largest in terms of size among stealth flying wing drones worldwide. This wingspan even exceeds the B-21 bomber's 40-meter wingspan, and is only slightly smaller than the B-2.

At present, it is difficult to see many technical details from the satellite photos and test flight photos of this drone. The War Zone website speculated that the drone uses split flaps, which are common in flying wing designs, such as the famous B-2 bomber. The War Zone website also claimed to have seen a small "hump" on the back of the drone, which looks like a rear-mounted intake and dual engine features. In addition, the aircraft uses a fragmented camouflage pattern.

Currently, the specific performance of this large stealth flying wing drone is unknown. Many analyses speculate that the maximum takeoff weight of this drone could reach 50 tons, and some analyses even suggest it could reach 80 tons. There are many speculations about the purpose of this aircraft: some believe it is a stealth unmanned bomber, while others think it is an high-altitude long-endurance stealth unmanned reconnaissance node. However, more professional speculation suggests that the aircraft may be multi-purpose - capable of both reconnaissance missions and strike missions.

The War Zone website said that China has at least one other similar large flying wing layout drone under development. Regardless, the speed at which China is developing advanced military aircraft is astonishing, and in this country, more advanced aircraft involved in confidential state are thriving in the shadows.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7563214697354019338/

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