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Stealthy GJ-21 Drone Has Launched And Recovered From Type 076 Amphibious Assault Ship, China Claims

Signs that the PLAN has been building up to this significant milestone in naval airpower have been growing for more than a year.

TWZJoseph Trevithick查看原文 ↗

新闻视频

Chinese PLA Navy's First Type 076 Amphibious Assault Ship "Sichuan" Conducts First Sea Trial
中国声称，一架隐形GJ-21无人机已从076型两栖攻击舰上起飞并回收。

By Joseph Trevithick

Published Oct 30, 2026 5:32 PM EDT

Satellite image ©2026 Vantor

A GJ-21 stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) has successfully launched from and recovered aboard the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan , according to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Visual confirmation of this milestone has yet to emerge, but there have been steady signs of preparations for flight trials from the Sichuan , which features an electromagnetic catapult. GJ-21s have already been spotted flying from airfields on land.

A picture of a GJ-21 drone that previously emerged online. Chinese internet

The GJ-21 and the land-based GJ-11 Mysterious Dragon it is based on are prime examples of China’s major investments in UCAVs and other flying-wing-type drones. These developments stand in particular contrast to the U.S. military’s eschewing of such designs , at least publicly . This is despite significant past U.S. achievements in this arena, including in the development of carrier-based UCAVs. The PLA Navy (PLAN) now looks to be on track to be the first country to field an operational capability of this kind.

A stock picture of the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan . PLA

“China’s first ship-borne stealth reconnaissance and attack drone ‘GJ-21’ recently made its first successful take-off and landing on [the Type] 076 amphibious assault ship, the ‘Sichuan’ (Hull 51),” according to a post today from the China Military Bugle account on X, an official PLA mouthpiece. “This is another significant breakthrough in the development of China’s amphibious assault ship, indicating that the Chinese Navy now has the capability to operate fixed-wing stealth drones from large maritime combat platforms.”

At the time of writing, neither the PLA nor Chinese state media have shared where or when these trials occured or provided any other additional details, including how many total launches and recoveries were conducted. No official pictures or videos from the testing have been released so far.

A graphic that accompanied the post on the China Military Bugle’s account on X regarding the GJ-21 and the Type 076. PLA/China Military Bugle

Unconfirmed claims that a GJ-21 had been launched from Sichuan had already begun circulating on social media earlier this month. As an aside, the GJ-21 is readily discernible from the land-based GJ-11 by the catapult bar on its nose landing gear strut.

Two interesting Type 076 News: 2. Via Temstar/SDF: "Yankee confirmed on tonight's Chahuahui that 076 has launched a GJ-21. He said it in a very straight forward way too, basically "you guys can stop guessing, I can tell you straight: yes they launched a GJ-21"." pic.twitter.com/ODkl6Kki9A — @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) October 15, 2026

Two interesting Type 076 News: 2. Via Temstar/SDF: "Yankee confirmed on tonight's Chahuahui that 076 has launched a GJ-21. He said it in a very straight forward way too, basically "you guys can stop guessing, I can tell you straight: yes they launched a GJ-21"." pic.twitter.com/ODkl6Kki9A

A review of satellite imagery from Planet Labs does show Sichuan was at its usual berth at Hudong-Zhonghua in Shanghai as of October 13, but absent four days later. When exactly it left port is unclear. The one-of-a-kind Type 076 does not appear to have returned until October 26. TWZ has also obtained a satellite image of Hudong-Zhonghua taken just today from Vantor, with the ship still seen sitting at the pier, as seen at the top of this story and below. GJ-21 drones, or more likely mockups thereof, have also been present on the pier for some time.

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard on October 10, 2026. What is widely assessed to be a mothership for large uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUV) is also seen at right. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor

Even while Sichuan was still under construction, there were growing signs that a navalized version of the GJ-11, as well as other uncrewed platforms, would be major components of its future air wing . With its electromagnetic catapult and notably large overall size, the Type 076 is unlike any other big-deck amphibious warship in service today globally, as TWZ has previously explored in depth .

A pair of apparent GJ-11 mockups at a test and/or training site on Changxing Island in Shanghai in May 2024, near where the Type 076 was under construction at the time. Google Earth

As mentioned, there have been further signs that the PLA has been preparing Sichuan for real launches and recoveries, especially of GJ-21s, since last year. Pictures emerged online in October 2025 showing a red-colored test ‘truck’ on the ship’s flight deck, indicating the start of catapult testing. Video from those tests has since been released. Weighted trucks like this have long been used to test catapults on aircraft carriers during construction or following maintenance . The Type 076 left port for the first time in November 2025.

小紅車上線了 pic.twitter.com/zrptPDwu2X — 🔪飞刀🔪 (@chaoyinsukandao) October 28, 2025

小紅車上線了 pic.twitter.com/zrptPDwu2X

Weighted carts catapult test on Type 076 LHD three lines marked directly under and outside the wheels of the Red cart to ensure it is centered the parallel alignment markings flanking the catapult slot serve as visual tips for precise positioning https://t.co/KJkC2ZrLgS pic.twitter.com/pZa0Vx56jG — David Wang (@DavidWangPLA) August 1, 2026

Weighted carts catapult test on Type 076 LHD three lines marked directly under and outside the wheels of the Red cart to ensure it is centered the parallel alignment markings flanking the catapult slot serve as visual tips for precise positioning https://t.co/KJkC2ZrLgS pic.twitter.com/pZa0Vx56jG

“Two GJ-21 aircraft were displayed at the victory parade in September 2025, reportedly having entered PLAN service in mid-2025,” according to Andreas Rupprecht , an expert on Chinese aviation and contributor to TWZ . “By late 2025, several GJ-21 aircraft were reportedly undergoing simulated EMALS launches and arrested landings at the PLAN’s land-based facility at Huangdicun .”

In February of this year, GJ-21 mockups were spotted on Sichuan ’s flight deck and riding on the ship’s port-side elevator to the hangar deck as part of what appeared to be deck-handling trials.

After the first Type 076 LHD/LAH "Sichuan" was seen yesterday with a GJ-21 UCAV mock-up on deck, the GJ-21 was seen for the first time with its wings folded and later lowered to the hangar deck on one of the elevators. (Images @鼎盛大彪 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/eMyz2QLHQX — @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) February 1, 2026

After the first Type 076 LHD/LAH "Sichuan" was seen yesterday with a GJ-21 UCAV mock-up on deck, the GJ-21 was seen for the first time with its wings folded and later lowered to the hangar deck on one of the elevators. (Images @鼎盛大彪 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/eMyz2QLHQX

More recent satellite imagery had shown that the Type 076’s flight deck had received additional markings in line with progress toward real flight operations. Fittings for three arresting cables also became plainly visible. Those cables are also notably depicted in the graphic that the China Military Bugle shared online today.

The arresting gear fittings as seen in the October 30, 2026 satellite image from Vantor, at left, as well as how they are depicted in the graphic from the China Military Bugle. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor/PLA

The GJ-21 will of course not be the only aircraft in the Type 076’s future air wing. The ship is also expected to carry a variety of other uncrewed aircraft, as well as crewed helicopters. China has shown a range of other combat drone designs in recent years. Navalized versions could well be developed for deployment on Sichuan , as well as PLAN’s growing fleet of traditional carriers and other suitable configured vessels.

Loading the Type 076 with operational UCAVs would only underscore the significance of this particular ship. As we have previously written :

“The potential value to the PLAN of having a fleet of very large deck amphibious assault ships that are highly capable of large-scale drone operations as well as traditional amphibious assaults is clear. These ships could be used to launch and recover UCAVs like the GJ-11 and other types of drones to perform a host of missions from maritime strike to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). They could be used to provide additional ‘mass’ in support of the operations of larger carrier strike groups and help to free the air wings of flattops like Fujian up for tasks they might be better suited for. In addition, they could provide a lower tier of naval aviation support that could be employed independently.”

“Simply having more naval aviation capacity overall would give the PLAN added flexibility for various operations closer to the mainland, including a potential military intervention against Taiwan or defending its expansive and largely unrecognized territorial claims in places like the South China Sea . Type 076s could also help project naval and air power further from China’s shores, something that has also been a driving factor behind the country’s broader carrier ambitions .”

“The Type 076 could help provide support during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Big deck amphibious warfare ships, in general, provide their operators with immensely valuable platforms for projecting both hard and soft power .”

Last year, the PLA separately confirmed that the GJ-11 had entered at least limited operational service. That followed a steady ramp-up in testing of that drone based on what could be seen in satellite imagery and video clips that had emerged online. This included evidence of near-daily flights at Malan Air Base, a major hub for testing uncrewed platforms . GJ-11s had also been spotted at an operational air base in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

New video out from the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China shows the new GJ-11 stealth drone (UCAV), and also the J-20 stealth fighter firing a live PL-15 air-to-air missile: pic.twitter.com/wraDqyMOht — The STRATCOM Bureau (@OSPSF) November 11, 2025

New video out from the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of China shows the new GJ-11 stealth drone (UCAV), and also the J-20 stealth fighter firing a live PL-15 air-to-air missile: pic.twitter.com/wraDqyMOht

Basically GJ-11 seems in limited operation and has been seen at multiple bases now including tibet and testing near daily at Mulan

As mentioned earlier, the continued development of the GJ-11 and GJ-21 are reflective of the PLA’s broader pursuit of stealthy flying-wing drones, which is not limited to UCAVs. Several larger designs that look most immediately suited to high-altitude, long-endurance ISR missions have also broken cover in the country in the past few years.

There is something of a trend in this regard globally, with Russia , India , Turkey , and France also pursuing flying-wing drone designs. The U.S. military continues to be markedly absent from this space, at least that we know , despite major investments and real demonstrations of relevant capability, before various programs were abandoned for reasons that still remain largely unclear . In the late 2010s, the U.S. Navy notably looked to be right on the edge of fielding a carrier-based UCAV, before changing course entirely to an uncrewed tanker instead. There are some signs now that the service may be taking another look at the capabilities it passed over.

It is still to be seen how quickly the PLA’s official statement today will be followed by real confirmation of the launching and recovery of a GJ-21 from the Sichuan .

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

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