Hongdu GJ-11
| 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 testing and evaluation[1]
Serial production planned for 2022[2] |
| Primary user | People's Liberation Army Air Force |
TheHongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword(Chinese:Công kích -11 lợi kiếm;pinyin:gongji-11 lì jiàn) is anunmanned combat aerial vehicledeveloped in thePeople's Republic of Chinafor thePeople's Liberation Army.It was designed byShenyang Aircraft Design InstituteandHongdu Aviation Industry Group(HAIG),[3]with the latter being the manufacturer.[4]The GJ-11 can perform precision strike andaerial reconnaissancemissions.[3][5]
Design
[edit]The GJ-11 is ataillessflying wing[3]with two internalweapons bays.[6][3]Stealth features include the shaping of the rear airframe around the engine exhaust[5]and serrated weapon bay doors.[6]The aircraft is powered by a single turbofan engine of unknown type, and the overall wingspan is 14 meters.[7]
Development
[edit]Early versions were less stealthy with an exposed engine nozzle.[8]
Images of the aircraft's first flight appeared on the internet in November 2013.[4]
In October 2021, Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) showcased the GJ-11 atAirshow China.The drone is reportedly capable of taking off autonomously fromType 076amphibious assault ships.The stealthy drone could deploy swarming air-launched decoys or electronic warfare systems, in addition to launching precision-guided munitions.[9][10]
In October 2022, Chinese media showcased the computer-generated concepts of three GJ-11 being controlled by a two-seat variant of theChengdu J-20fighter jet, akin to the Loyal Wingman program of the United States.[11]
Specifications
[edit]
General characteristics
- Crew:None
- Length:12.2[6]m (40 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan:14.4[6]m (47 ft 3 in)
- Height:2.7[6]m (8 ft 10 in)
- Powerplant:1 × unnamedGuizhou-built[12]turbofan
Performance
Armament
References
[edit]- ^Thompson, Drew (7 June 2021).Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2021.Routledge. p. 242.ISBN978-1-000-47449-7.
- ^Thompson 2021,p. 244.
- ^abcdeWood, Peter; Cliff, Roger (November 2020).Chinese Airborne C4ISR.United States Department of the Air ForceChina Aerospace Studies Institute. p. 21.ISBN9798583085569.
- ^abAxe, David (21 November 2013)."Now China's Got a Stealthy Killer Drone".medium.com.war-is-boring.Retrieved21 November2013.
- ^abWilliams, Ian; Dahlgren, Masao (16 October 2019)."More Than Missiles: China Previews its New Way of War".Center for Strategic and International Studies.Retrieved11 December2022.
- ^abcdef"Tiêm 20 tính năng sổ cư thủ thứ phi lộ: Tối đại phi hành tốc độ 2 mã hách".Xinhua(in Chinese). 2021-09-28.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-09-29.Retrieved2021-09-29.
- ^"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.Retrieved11 December2022.
- ^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.
- ^"Hàng không báo quốc thù tráng chí trường thiên ánh chiếu xích tử tâm —— ký quý châu hàng không phát động cơ nghiên cứu sở phó tổng thiết kế sư hàn đông".Trung công võng. 2015-04-27.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-09-23.