A mysterious flying apparatus appeared in satellite images of a well-known Chinese Radar Cross Section (RCS) testing ground in Baoding, a city in the eastern Chinese province of Hebei, earlier this year. The aircraft, which is possibly a model of an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) still in development, bears a resemblance to the Northrop Grumman X-47B UAV, with its carrier-based configuration.
This same object was also used to test the stealth characteristics of the Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword drone. Observers believe that the GJ-11 could eventually take off from Chinese aircraft carriers, given that unofficial photos have shown its models on full-scale aircraft carrier test sites.
The latest images of the unknown aircraft, whose existence was first reported by Aviation Week, were taken by Airbus satellites and can be viewed on Google Earth as of February 12, 2024. The area shown is the Hebei testing ground for stealth aircraft, whose satellite images were thoroughly analyzed by Covert Shores in September 2021.
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In the images, the drone is positioned at the eastern end of the runway behind a hangar. Using photo analysis tools, experts determined that the aircraft’s wingspan is approximately 17 meters. It appears to lack a pilot cockpit, suggesting it might be a drone or UAV.
So far, it can be definitively stated that the aircraft is only a test model. It is not protected from satellites, as it is placed under a hangar set on tracks. This structure can move forward and backward to shield classified test objects from intrusive aerial reconnaissance.
The design of the object is somewhat similar to Northrop Grumman’s X-47B aircraft, featuring a blended-body airframe and a cranked wing. While the X-47B is tailless, the unidentified Chinese aircraft appears to have two small vertical stabilizers, angled toward the trailing edge. Engine air intakes, if present, are not visible, possibly because they might be absent on the test model. They could be integrated into the underside, or simply not visible in the photograph.
In a conversation with The Aviationist, leading Chinese military aviation analyst Andreas Rupprecht said that the “shape” is “real,” as it was “spotted at the PLAAF RCS testing ground.” This implies that the images are not fake or manipulated.
However, he believes that it might not be an actual flying model but “just a shape being tested there, like many others, and sometimes even stranger ones.” Its real status within the PLA’s weapons development plans is unknown.
On the platform at the eastern end of the runway, a pedestal can be seen where test models are typically mounted for various experiments. Next to the platform (to the east) is a mobile hangar, near which the mysterious aircraft is located, among other unidentified debris. This is consistent with the location being an RCS (Radar Cross Section) testing center, as reported by Covert Shores.
To the west, there are two additional pedestals—one nearly in the middle and another a bit farther out. “Since 2013, the site has been progressively improved. The platform at the western end was expanded, and a large hangar was built in 2016. There appeared to be bursts of activity in 2016-17 and again in 2020-21,” Covert Shores reported.
Typically, at such facilities, engineers set up test articles and place radars around them to analyze their radar returns. This is done to check for radar-absorbing materials on the aircraft and to assess its vulnerability to electromagnetic radiation from the front, sides, and rear.
The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works HAVE BLUE radar, which directly led to the development of the F-117A Nighthawk, was shown in a well-known photograph mounted on a pedestal during testing. The Have Blue featured inward-curving tail sections and an aerodynamically unstable design, supported by a powerful Flight Control System (FCS).
The GJ-11 Sharp Sword, developed by AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China), is expected to eventually go into production.
The GJ-11 was first officially unveiled at a military parade in October 2019, marking the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. It was also seen in unofficial photos of a drone model on a full-scale testing ground in late December of the previous year.
At this facility in Wuhan, models of the J-15, J-35/J-31/FC-31 Gyrfalcon, and KJ-600 were on the flight deck. Another PLA expert, Rick Joe, described this as “almost confirmation” that “drones of this type are intended for carrier aviation,” adding that the GJ-11 is “likely already being tested.” Subsequently, in February 2024, a scale model was showcased at the Singapore Airshow.
Source: TheAviationist
