China Tests GJ-21 Stealth Drone as Type 076 'Sichuan' Enters Final Sea Trials
China flight-tested its GJ-21 stealth unmanned aerial vehicle in August 2026 as the Type 076 amphibious assault ship 'Sichuan' entered the final phase of sea trials, signalling a shift toward carrier-based unmanned combat aviation. The GJ-21 is the naval variant of the GJ-11 stealth flying-wing drone, with test flights reported over Huludao in Liaoning province. The Sichuan displaces more than 40,000 tonnes and has a flight deck about 250 metres long and 62 metres wide. It is the world's first amphibious assault ship fitted with an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), letting it launch fixed-wing aircraft and stealth combat drones - effectively a "drone carrier".
EMALS uses a linear induction motor instead of a steam catapult; the US Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford was the first carrier to deploy it | China's aircraft carriers are Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian, the last fitted with electromagnetic catapults | India's indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant uses a STOBAR ski-jump configuration
