People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

Latest in People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

The latest Chinese military aircraft to appear in flight test is a tactical transport aircraft, known, unofficially for now, as the Y-30. Not perhaps as headline-grabbing as China’s string of new crewed and uncrewed combat aircraft designs, the transport is nonetheless highly significant, reflecting the People’s Liberation Army’s growing ambitions to be able to conduct out-of-area operations.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s ‘Y-30’ Turboprop Airlifter Spotted For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick

Posted Yesterday

We have got what could be our first look at China’s CH-7 stealthy flying-wing drone in flight. While it’s far from the biggest Chinese drone of this configuration, it’s still of impressive size and, as we have noted in the past, appears to be tailored for intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR), as well as strike missions as an uncrewed combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s Stealthy CH-7 Flying Wing Drone Has Flown

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 15, 2025

Japan and South Korea scrambled jets to respond to a joint Russian-Chinese bomber patrol.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

Joint Chinese-Russian Bomber Patrol Sends Japanese, South Korean Fighters Scrambling

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 9, 2025

Japan's plans to place SAMS on an island near Taiwan has China outraged.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

Japan’s Plan To Put SAMs On Strategic Island 70 Miles From Taiwan Could Be Just The Beginning

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Nov 26, 2025

J-36 shows its new thrust vector nozzles
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s J-36 Tailless Stealth Jet’s New Thrust Vectoring Nozzles Seen From Behind

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Nov 24, 2025

A month after the emergence of satellite imagery that showed GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV) in an apparently semi-operational state, China has released the first air-to-air video of the drone. China also revealed that the official People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) name for the GJ-11 is Mysterious Dragon.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s Stealthy GJ-11 ‘Mysterious Dragon’ Soars Out Of The Shadows

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Nov 11, 2025

China's growing weapons programs puts pressure on intelligence community.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

Can U.S. Intel Keep Up With China’s Tsunami Of Weapons Developments?

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

After a string of exotic stealthy combat jets, both crewed and uncrewed, the latest new Chinese military aircraft to break cover is somewhat different, but nonetheless interesting. The latest development concerns an advanced jet trainer, but one that clearly has considerable potential as a light combat aircraft, too.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

New Chinese Advanced Training Jet Breaks Cover

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 28, 2025

Second J-36 prototype has major alterations compared to the first.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s Massive J-36 Stealth ‘Fighter’ Gets Major Design Tweaks With Second Prototype

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Oct 28, 2025

GJ-X Chinese large flying wing drone.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s Huge ‘GJ-X’ Stealth Drone Appears To Have Been Spotted In The Air For The First Time

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 19, 2025

J-XDS images of china's new 6th generation stealth fighter
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

Is This Our Best Look At China’s Tailless J-XDS Stealth Fighter?

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 25, 2025

The massive military parade in Beijing yesterday has provided us with a much closer look at some of the country’s new air combat drones, the gradual emergence of which, in the run-up to the event, prompted much discussion. Of these drones, one, in particular stands out, this being a stealthy tailless design that is also notably large, and which is overall indicative of high performance.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China Unveils Large Unmanned Stealth Fighter Design During Military Parade

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Sep 3, 2025

A recently emerged image shows a very large, low-observable, flying-wing aircraft flying in China. While the identity of the aircraft cannot be definitively established, it matches, in many respects, the appearance of the huge drone that TWZ was first to identify in satellite imagery dating from earlier this summer, and which you can read more about here.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

Large Stealth Flying Wing Aircraft Photographed Over China

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 20, 2025

Another chinese stealthy tailless combat jet emerges.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

New Chinese Stealth Tactical Jet Breaks Cover

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Aug 5, 2025

While the J-20S was officially unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow last year, there are rumors that it might be publicly unveiled as an operational PLAAF asset in September of this year, when the PLAAF marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s Two-Seat J-20 Stealth Fighter Poised To Enter Operational Service

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Jul 8, 2025

Chinese WIG aircraft.
People's Liberation Army Air Force (China)

China’s Mysterious Ekranoplan Seen In Full For First Time

By Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Jul 5, 2025