CCTV footage gives the first close look at the GJ-11 stealth drone's weapon bay

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired new images of the GJ-11 stealth combat drone on 9 November, in a report counting down to the PLA Air Force's 77th anniversary on Wednesday. For the first time they show a close-up of the drone's large internal weapon bay, with serrated edges, a design that suggests it can carry fairly large missiles without giving up stealth.

The footage also showed a shielded jet nozzle, a low-visibility coating and a faceted optical window under the nose that looks like the electro-optical targeting system of the J-20 stealth fighter. The GJ-11, a flying wing also called Xuanlong or Dark Dragon, is the air force's first stealth combat and reconnaissance drone. It was unveiled at a 2019 military parade and entered service no later than 2025.

According to CCTV, the GJ-11 has operated in coordination with another drone and can work with crewed aircraft, scouting ahead for enemy air defences, acting as a decoy or launching guided munitions under their direction. Its control station can be flown in military transport aircraft.

The report said the drone nearly failed to find its target in its first live-fire test because of thick cloud, but hit it after circling back, according to its operator Shi Xiaoran. It did not say when the test took place or which weapon was used.