Stealth drone completes successful maiden flight
Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, which may help monitor disputed territory, latest example of country's fast improving military technology
China yesterday staged the successful maiden test of its first jet-powered stealth drone, making the fourth country to implement the technology after the Britain, France and the United States.
Military experts said the unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) would help China to strengthen its intelligence gathering capability in the East and South China seas, where Beijing has been engaged in several tense territorial disputes with its Asian neighbours.
In-flight photos of the new drone, which has been dubbed the "Lijian" ("Sharp Sword" in Chinese), and video footage were posted on Chinese military forums and picked up by the website of the Global Times, a newspaper affiliated with the People's Daily.
Video: China's first stealth drone Lijian, or "sharp sword", appears on the internet
The Global Times cited online reports as saying that the drone - powered by a single jet engine and sporting the same "flying-wing" design as the US X-78B drone prototype - is the product of collaboration between the mainland aerospace firms Shenyang Aviation and Hongdu Aviation Industry.
The reports said the Lijian's maiden flight yesterday afternoon lasted about 20 minutes. It is the country's third home-grown stealth aircraft in three years, and follows the advanced J-20 and J-31 stealth fighter jets.