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PLA Air Force shows GJ-11 stealth drone in flight with J-20, J-16D for first time in a microfilm; expert calls combination 'perfect'

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Liang Rui Published: Nov 11, 2025 10:37 AM

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force on Tuesday released a microfilm celebrating its 76th founding anniversary, in which it for the first time showed an aerial formation consisting of a GJ-11 stealth drone, a J-20 stealth fighter jet and a J-16D electronic warfare aircraft. An expert called it a perfect combination for penetrating hostile defense lines.

To mark the 76th founding anniversary, the PLA Air Force released a microfilm titled "Far-Reaching Dreams" on Tuesday. Through the perspective of an ordinary family, the microfilm portrays the developments of the Chinese Air Force. The microfilm released footage of a GJ-11 stealth drone teaming up with a J-20 stealth fighter jet and a J-16D electronic warfare aircraft in an aerial formation for the first time.

The microfilm featured scenarios in which a GJ-11 set out from its hangar, took off, and then formed an aerial formation with a J-20 stealth fighter jet and a J-16D electronic warfare aircraft. In the microfilm, the GJ-11 was referred to as Xuanlong, while the J-20 was referred to by its long-known nickname Weilong.

With a flying wing aerodynamic design, the GJ-11 stealth attack drone was first unveiled at China's National Day military parade held in Beijing in 2019.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the PLA Air Force's latest microfilm indicated that the GJ-11 drone has already reached a certain level of operational capability in terms of operating with manned aircraft.

The trio combination of the GJ-11, J-20 and J-16D is a perfect one, Song said, explaining that the J-16D electronic warfare aircraft can conduct jamming and paralyze hostile radar systems, while the J-20 fighter jet and GJ-11 drone, taking advantage of their stealth capabilities, can break through the hostile defense line and destroy key targets. The GJ-11 drone could act as an extension of the manned aircraft, going deeper into high-risk zones.

This combination is expected to further enhance the PLA Air Force's capabilities in breaking hostile air defense systems, Song said.

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, believes that this combination could also use other tactics.

For instance, the GJ-11 drone could fly ahead of the manned aircraft and conduct armed reconnaissance missions before the J-16D and the J-20 fly in. Another possibility is that the GJ-11 could play as a wingman drone and provide cover for the manned aircraft, Wang told the Global Times on Tuesday.

This is also the first time the PLA Air Force has displayed its manned-unmanned teaming capability, the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) noted.

Wang said that the footage, likely taken in a training exercise, showed the PLA Air Force is exploring the collaborative capabilities between manned and unmanned aircraft as well as new tactics and methods. It reflects a certain level of maturity in the PLA Air Force's manned-unmanned teaming capabilities.

The GJ-11 is not the only advanced drone China has developed. At the V-Day military parade in Beijing on September 3, China for the first time displayed multiple types of wingman drones and air superiority drones. Military affairs experts told the Global Times that some of the UAVs showcased at the parade not only have new appearances, but also embody new concepts, which could overturn the existing air combat scenarios and profoundly change the future of air combat.

China is making strides in drone development, and more unmanned equipment are entering service. It will be interesting to see how advanced manned and unmanned aircraft team up with each other for complex missions, Wang said.

New techs

In addition to the information involving the GJ-11 drone, the PLA Air Force's microfilm also featured some other new footage, such as a scene of a J-20 launching an air-to-air missile, as well as the launch of an HQ-20 air defense missile, which just recently made its debut at the V-Day military parade.

A separate CCTV report on Tuesday revealed that the PLA Air Force has developed a new training system, integrating weapons and equipment in the physical realm with training simulators. Pilots and operators using both real equipment and simulators get to conduct confrontational exercises together in a network.

Other important elements in this training network besides real forces and simulated forces are digital forces, which are AI elements that keep on learning from the inputs of human pilots and operators, making them more challenging to fight against than humans, according to the CCTV report.

It was only a year ago that the PLA Air Force unveiled its new J-35A stealth fighter jet at Airshow China 2024. Song said that the PLA Air Force has seen rapid development over the past year thanks to China's continuous advancements in its aviation, electronics, materials and other technologies.

This lays a firm bedrock for defending China's national sovereignty, security, development interests, as well as for safeguarding peace and stability in the region and the world, Song said.