China's GJ-21 stealth drone completes first takeoff and landing on Type 076 ship Sichuan

Titles and summaries are AI-extracted from news reporting; every source is linked below. Event id 08ee56f0-0b16-4267-acb6-eec0591bd5b3.

Where: Sichuanresolved to block39.933, 116.438
When: Occurrence date not stated by reportingFirst reported 2026-10-30 · last update 2026-11-01
Sourcing: 9 reports9 reports across 8 outlets · independence not established
How far this got: pinpointednamed facility unresolvedRadar coverage

Summary

Multiple reports say the GJ-21, China's first shipborne stealth reconnaissance and strike drone, completed its first takeoff and landing aboard the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan. Xinhua reported the operation, and the Ministry of National Defense announced it. The reports describe the vessel as capable of operating fixed-wing stealth drones, though no official image or video of the flights has been released. The accounts differ on some details, including the Sichuan's catapult and arresting-gear capabilities and the vessel's status, but agree the milestone marks progress in naval drone operations.

What imagery could confirm

Which satellite to use, what to look for and why. Part of the event detail on Pro.

What remains unresolved

named facility unresolved

Timeline

13 recorded change(s). The ledger starts when this event was first folded: the initial observation is not recorded as a change, so an empty timeline means nothing has moved since, not that nothing is known.

13 change(s) before the history shown here.

Sources

Grouped by outlet. Syndication is not collapsed, so several outlets can carry one wire story — the count is breadth of carriage, not independent confirmation.

globaltimes.cn
- China's GJ-21, world's first operational large armed reconnaissance stealth UAV on amphibious assault ship, boasts three core strengths: expert - Global Times2026-10-30
ksevradio.com
- China says stealth attack drone makes first takeoff, landing on amphibious ship - KSEV Radio 7002026-10-30
channelnewsasia.com
- China says stealth attack drone makes first takeoff, landing on amphibious ship2026-10-30
theaviationist.com
- China Claims GJ-21 Naval UCAV has Flown from Type 076 Sichuan LHD2026-10-30
global.chinadaily.com.cn
- Stealth drone takes off from assault ship2026-10-31
thestar.com.my
- China says stealth attack drone makes first takeoff, landing on amphibious ship2026-10-31
tribune.com.pk
- China2026-10-31
eng.chinamil.com.cn
- Type 076 amphibious assault ship becomes world's 1st catapult-capable drone carrier after China's 1st carrier-borne armed reconnaissance stealth drone completes takeoff & landing - China Military2026-11-01

9 reports in all; the full list with the facts taken from each is part of the event detail on Pro.

Related events

0 related event(s) and 1 place(s) or facilities — the same facility, place, actor or campaign. Part of the event detail on Pro.

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