May 11, 2026 18:09 pm IST

Opinion | 'Hellish Difficulty': Why India Should Be Keeping An Eye On China's New 'Shipborne' Drone

The GJ-21, which has a reported combat attack radius of up to 1,500 kilometres, when combined with a land-attack long-range precision-strike system, can have the ability to strike deep within a territory's mainland.

Anushka Saxena Anushka Saxena Columnist

Anushka Saxena Columnist

On April 30, an unofficial photograph began circulating in Chinese-language military fora, showing in flight a stealth drone with a flying-wing design, its landing gear deployed, and a small metal rod jutting from its nose strut. It was subsequently revealed to be the naval variant of China's GJ-11 "Sharp Sword" combat drone - the GJ-21 shipborne UAV. It is produced by Hongdu Aviation, a subsidiary of one of China's largest defence State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) - the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

The GJ-21 has evolved over a decade. Its predecessor, the GJ-11, was first unveiled at the 70th National Day parade in 2019 in Beijing. In November 2025, it was officially codenamed "Xuanlong" (Mighty/Mysterious Dragon) in a mini-film, and subsequently also goes by the name 'Sharp Sword'. It has been one of the most prominent land-based UCAV systems in China's arsenal and........

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