China's GJ-21 Stealth Drone Makes First Takeoff and Landing Aboard Sichuan

China's first carrier-based stealth reconnaissance and strike drone, the GJ-21, has completed its first takeoff and landing on the Sichuan, the country's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday, October 30, 2026. The People's Liberation Army Navy confirmed the flight the same day, according to Army Recognition.

Xinhua hailed the test as "a breakthrough in China's amphibious assault ship programme" and said it signifies the navy's ability to operate fixed-wing stealth drones from large naval platforms, Reuters reported.

The test at sea

The GJ-21 completed its first electromagnetic catapult launch and arrested landing aboard the Sichuan, Hull 51, during late October sea trials, Army Recognition reported. China's state television CCTV said on Friday that the Sichuan conducted consecutive sea trials in late October. It did not disclose the locations of the trials.

No photographs or video footage of the GJ-21 flight had been publicly released at the time Army Recognition wrote its report, the outlet said. Readers should note that point. The milestone rests on the official Chinese announcement and the reporting around it, not on published pictures of the launch or the landing.

The ship

The Sichuan is the lead vessel of China's Type 076 amphibious assault ship class. It was launched in December 2024 and features electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology, Reuters reported. The vessel can carry fixed-wing drones, helicopters and amphibious equipment.

Reuters, citing the official launch information, gave the ship a full load displacement of more than 40,000 metric tons. It has a full-length flight deck and a twin-island superstructure. Army Recognition published a higher estimate of 50,000 tonnes. That figure is an estimate and differs from the official figure, so this article uses the official figure of more than 40,000 metric tons.

In April, China's navy said the Sichuan had sailed to waters in the South China Sea for scientific testing and training missions. The navy said at the time that the deployment was a routine test and did not aim at any specific target, Reuters reported.

The drone

The GJ-21 first appeared in public at a military parade Beijing held last year to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, where China displayed different types of weapons, Reuters reported.

Military expert Zhang Xuefeng, quoted by the Global Times and reported by Reuters, described the aircraft's cost and recovery case in these terms: "GJ-21 is also low cost and reusable. Unlike hypersonic missiles, it can be recovered and redeployed multiple times. It can also deploy small, low-cost glide-guided bombs. Under high-tempo operations, it offers greater fire delivery efficiency with better cost control."

That case helps explain why a catapult launch and an arrested landing matter for this class of ship. A drone that can launch from a large amphibious ship, return and land on its deck can fly again, which changes how often the ship can put aircraft over a target area. The reports do not say when the GJ-21 will enter regular service, and this article does not claim a date for that step.