Gongji-11: China Unveils New Unmanned Stealth Bomber

At a large military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) unveiled the new Gongji-11 (GJ-11) radar evading unmanned strike bomber - reportedly as a lighter counterpart to the upcoming H-20 intercontinental range manned heavy bomber which will incorporate similar stealth features. The aircraft is far from the first high end flying wing stealth design China has displayed, with the Sharp Sword platform among others long preceding it, but the sophistication of the Gongji-11’s stealth profile and particularly its concealed engine exhaust demonstrate China’s emergence as a leading player in the field of both stealth and drone technologies - one rivalled only by the United States.

The Gongji-11 is reportedly based on the Sharp Sword design and retains a similar role, the penetration of enemy airspace and delivery of precision strikes. The types of munitions the platform can carry, its ability to deploy standoff munitions, and the quantities of arms its airframe can accommodate while retaining a long range, are all uncertain. It remains a considerable possibility that China will seek to export its stealth drone technologies, particularly once next generation stealth aircraft become available, and there has been some speculation that Russia may benefit from Chinese technologies in its development of both the PAK-DA stealth bomber and Okhotnik-B radar evading wingman drone programs. China's considerable investment in artificial intelligence technologies could give the Gongji-11, as well as future platforms such as the Dark Sword unmanned fighter, considerably more operational independence and further enhance their capabilities.