Lijian or Sharp Sword, which might become China's first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), is expected to enter service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) as early as 2020.
The low-observable, tailless flying wing, which looks remarkably similar to the U.S. Navy MQ-25 Stingray UAV developed years ahead of it, began flying in 2016. Chinese media reports the lone Sharp Sword prototype (001) is doing well.
It said the PLAAF initially envisions reconnaissance and aerial tanker missions for Sharp Sword in heavily defended areas. The UAV will then be configured for combat operations to attack heavily-defended, high-value U.S. targets with air-to-surface missiles and smart bombs.
Sharp Sword can carry a weapons payload of 2,000 kg (4,400 lbs. or two tons) in its two internal bomb bays.
More advanced versions of Sharp Sword might even take-off and land autonomously from Chinese aircraft carriers. Others are planned as robotic wingmen to manned jet fighters.
Sharp Sword is powered by a non-afterburning WS-13 turbofan engine. It has a length of about 10 meters and a wingspan of about 14 meters.
Sharp Sword is one of the seven iterations of the AVIC 601-S is a series of Chinese low-observable flying wing UAVs jointly developed by Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute (SYADI) of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and Shenyang Aerospace University (SAU).
The name 601-S derives from the names of the developers: SYADI, which is also widely known as the 601st Institute, hence 601. The letter S stands for Shenyang Aerospace University.
A total of seven different models of the AVIC 601-S have been identified as of 2013, one of the most advanced of which is Sharp Sword.
Sharp Sword was jointly developed by SYADI, SAU and Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIG). It's one of the two models of the AVIC 601-S that advanced beyond a proof of concept design by evolving into a larger aircraft.
The other model is Dark Sword, which emphasizes maneuverability more than stealth.