More imagery of Chinese ‘loyal wingman’ type drones, or at least mockups thereof, that are set to make their official debut at a major upcoming military parade has emerged. The uncrewed aircraft are just one part of a massive reveal of new capabilities around this event, some possibly aspirational, but some very real.
At least five different loyal wingmen drones, also now commonly referred to as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) by the USAF, had already been expected to be shown at the upcoming parade in Beijing, based on satellite imagery of the preparations that TWZ previously reported on. It is possible that some of the designs are higher-performance uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV) with enhanced degrees of autonomy, but that could still have collaborative capabilities. The GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealthy flying-wing drone, a centerpiece of Chinese UCAV developments to date, and lower-tier medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) types will also be part of the parade.
We can now see that one of the designs that will be shown at the parade, seen below, has a clear resemblance to the FH-97, which is at least heavily inspired by the XQ-58A Valkyrie from U.S. drone maker Kratos. However, the others do not readily align with known Chinese types.
Yesterday, a new image emerged offering a better look at one of the designs, which has a traditional wing and tail arrangement, as well as a top-mounted air intake. Another picture of this drone also began circulating online earlier today. As noted, it has distinct similarities to the FH-97, which was first shown publicly at China’s Zhuhai Airshow in 2021. The angular shaping of the vertical stabilizers, in particular, very much aligns with the FH-97, as well as the XQ-58.
Comparisons have also been drawn to General Atomics YFQ-42A, which is now under development for the U.S. Air Force’s CCA program, but that design has vertical stabilizers with a different trapezoidal shape.
It is worth noting here that the company behind the FH-97, Aerospace Times Feihong Technology Corporation, a subsidiary of the state-run China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), also presented a very different design dubbed the FH-97A in 2022. Unlike the FH-97, the FH-97A is a dead ringer for the MQ-28 Ghost Bat developed by Boeing’s division in Australia. What we are seeing now might be a further addition to the FH-97 line.
Today, additional images emerged showing two of the other new drone designs, which are tailless with modified delta wings. One of the designs has a very slender nose in front of a significantly wider body, while the other (also seen in an image at the top of this story) has a broader nose and center section. Both of them are still under wraps, with details that could point to their engine layouts and other features obscured. Based on their sizes compared to the trucks carrying them, the two drones are significantly larger than the FH-97-esque design. The larger size of the drones also points to higher performance.
It’s also worth noting that the drone with the broader design is highly similar, if not the same as an airframe or mockup thereof spotted in satellite imagery of the Chinese plane maker Shenyang’s main plant earlier this year, which TWZ was first to report on. However, it is not entirely clear from what we can see now if the wings on the two designs are exactly the same.
Two other drone designs seen in the previous satellite imagery of the parade preparations, which also appear to be tailless with modified diamond-like delta and cranked-kite wings, have yet to come into clearer view.
As TWZ has previously reported, all of this reflects China’s clear pursuit of multiple CCA and/or UCAV designs for land-based use, as well as operations from aircraft carriers and big-deck amphibious warfare ships. The two-seat J-20S stealth fighter is also now routinely depicted acting as an airborne drone controller, a role TWZ has long highlighted as being ideal for the aircraft. The KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft is also regularly discussed as part of China’s future crewed-uncrewed air combat ecosystem, and it has been suggested that the H-6 missile carrier aircraft could act as a launch platform for lower-tier tactical drones.
China has also secured a broader position as a global leader in advanced uncrewed aviation developments. What appears to be a very large, low-observable, flying-wing, high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft also emerged earlier this year, as TWZ was first to report.
Beyond CCA/UCAV-type drones, the upcoming parade, which will take place on September 3, will mark the 80th anniversary of the country’s victory over Japan in World War II, is going to feature a variety of what Chinese authorities have referred to as “new-type combat capabilities.”
On the uncrewed aviation front, what looks to be a new vertical takeoff and landing-capable drone will be on display. From what can be seen of the design so far, it may have a twin intermeshing rotor design. This is a rare configuration for helicopters, crewed or uncrewed. The Kaman Corporation in the United States is best known for producing designs with this configuration, including a pair of CQ-24 drone versions of the company’s K-MAX helicopter, which the U.S. Marine Corps operated for a time in Afghanistan.
Imagery of the ongoing preparations shows that a number of new missile designs are also set to make their public debut. This includes the YJ-17, which has a shape in line with past ‘waverider’ type hypersonic missiles, as well as the YJ-19, with a style of air intake often seen on designs with scramjet engines. Another design, labeled YJ-20, has a long conical-like shape that is very much in line with a mysterious missile seen being fired from what was said to be a Type 055 destroyer in a video that appeared online in 2022.
What may be a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), or another type of very large weapon with a ballistic-missile like capability, as well as other new ground-launched missiles, also look set to be unveiled at the parade.
Previously unseen very large uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUV) with torpedo-like shapes, as well as uncrewed surface vessels (USV), will also be showcased at the parade.
Images now circulating online also confirm that a number of new crewed tracked and wheeled armored vehicles will also feature prominently in the parade. There had been speculation that at least one new armored vehicle design would break cover at the event after a video showing mysteriously unidentified vehicles concealed underneath large, box-like structures began circulating on social media in July. Some of the armored vehicle crew members seen taking part in the parade preparations are wearing headsets of a kind often associated with augmented reality vision systems. Uncrewed ground vehicles (UGV) will also be on display at the parade.
A variety of ground-based air and missile defense systems, including directed energy weapons, will take part in the parade, as well.
It is, of course, important to stress that it is not immediately clear how many of the drones and other ‘new’ systems that will take part in the parade are actually operationally or even close to being put into service. Mockups have been shown at many major Chinese military parades in the past. At the same time, in many cases, those designs have turned into very real capabilities, with the GJ-11 being one of the best-known examples. A stealthier iteration of the GJ-11 design was one of the big reveals at a parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Communist state in China in 2019.
All of this reflects larger efforts by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to modernize its capabilities across the board. While the PLA retains a heavy regional focus, including around preparedness for a potential military intervention against Taiwan and enforcing China’s widely rejected territorial claims in the South China Sea, it has also been working to expand its ability to project power further and further abroad. The PLA’s nuclear deterrence capabilities and associated doctrine have also evolved significantly in recent years.
Altogether, Beijing looks set to make full use of the upcoming parade on September 3 to send signals globally through the official debut of a host of new CCA/UCAV-type drones and many other advanced capabilities, big and small.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
