stealth

We now have the first known commercial satellite imagery of the two Chinese sixth-generation stealth fighter designs that emerged nearly a year ago. The aircraft, which are commonly referred to now as the J-36 and the J-XDS, have been spotted in separate images not at their home airfields where they were built, but at a secretive airbase with a massive runway situated near the Lop Nur nuclear test site in northwestern China.

The J-36, readily identifiable by its large modified delta planform and ‘splinter’ camouflage paint scheme, is seen outside the main hangar at the facility’s central apron in an archived satellite image taken on August 27, which The War Zone obtained from Planet Labs. The J-XDS is seen in another Planet Labs image of the airfield taken on September 13. Previously, the J-36 and J-XDS have only been definitively spotted flying in and out of the main airfields associated with their respective manufacturers, Chengdu and Shenyang. Readers can find TWZ‘s very in-depth initial analysis on the J-36 and the J-XDS here.

This particular base near Lop Nur, which has been linked to work on reusable space planes, is also now undergoing a major expansion. It notably already has a runway over 16,400 feet long, or more than 3 miles in total length, making it one of the longest anywhere in the world.

The August 27 satellite image offers new details about the J-36’s size, showing it to have a wingspan of approximately 65 feet and an overall length of some 62 feet. It has already been clear that the three-engined J-36, two distinctly different prototypes of which have now emerged, is a very large tactical aircraft. For comparison, members of the extended Soviet-designed Flanker fighter family, like China’s J-16s, have wingspans of around 48 feet. Flankers are already well known for their large size relative to other fourth-generation fighter designs. As another point of comparison, the variable geometry F-111’s fully extended wingspan was 63 feet.

The September 13 image shows the J-XDS to have a wingspan of around 50 feet and be slightly shorter than the J-36. It’s worth noting that the shadow and image resolution make this estimate more challenging, and readers are advised to take it as such. It has been previously established that the twin-engined J-XDS, also sometimes referred to as the J-50, with its “lambda” wing planform, is smaller and slimmer than the J-36. That being said, it is still firmly in the heavy fighter class.

As mentioned, the remote base near Lop Nur is in the process of being expanded in a major way, overall. The work only started in earnest in the past six months or so, and significant progress has already been made. This includes the enlargement of the main apron, with a single new hangar also having been built at the northeastern end. Three smaller hangars, all joined together and that look to be typical of ones for fighter-sized aircraft, have been constructed at the opposite end, as well.

In addition, a host of other new buildings are seen under construction to the immediate southeast, pointing to plans to expand the scope and scale of work being done at the facility. The series of satellite images below gives a sense of the sheer magnitude of work that has been done just since May of this year.

There had already been a pronounced expansion of the infrastructure at the base in the early 2020s, including the construction of the large main hangar and associated apron. As noted, at that time, the facility seemed largely tied to Chinese military space development efforts. TWZ‘s first report on the airfield came in 2020 after a reusable space plane appeared to have landed there. Last year, we reported on it again after satellite imagery emerged showing a still-mysterious object sitting at one end of the runway.

It seems clear now that the facility has taken on a larger and still growing role in China’s broader advanced aerospace development ecosystem. Comparisons have already been drawn in the past to the U.S. military’s top-secret flight test center at Groom Lake in Nevada, better known as Area 51.

The airfield near Lop Nur is even more remote than China’s existing sprawling test airbase near Malan in Xinjiang province, which also seems to be almost exclusively focused, in terms of aerospace development tasks, on uncrewed aircraft. It also appears to host aircraft detachments for more general training and testing.

The construction of new hangars and other infrastructure at the base in question can only further help with the concealment of assets and other activity there from prying eyes, including in space. That being said, the site is regularly imaged, including by commercial satellites, which clearly did not deter the Chinese from parking the J-36 and J-XDS outside in broad daylight.

Regardless, the appearance of the J-36 and J-XDS at the remote base around the same time is also telling of the facility’s new mission to support the development of advanced air combat technologies. It is further indicative of the state of China’s rapidly evolving sixth-generation fighter programs that they have operated out of this place, possibly alongside each other.

All of this reflects a broader ramping up in China of the development and testing of next-generation tactical air combat platforms, as well as key supporting aircraft. This includes a host of advanced drones intended to perform a variety of missions. Some of these designs are very large, while others are smaller and more in the vein of ‘loyal wingman,’ or what is now often called a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). For example, the satellite image below, from Planet Labs’ archive of shots taken of Malan, shows what is likely a fighter-sized CCA-type uncrewed aircraft.

These Chinese military aviation trends extend into the naval domain, as well. This past weekend, images emerged online that offer the first look at a navalized version of the GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV), intended for operations from aircraft carriers and big deck amphibious assault ships, with its arrestor hook deployed. This drone is sometimes also referred to as the GJ-21.

Even with major construction still underway, the secretive and remote base near Lop Nur is already becoming busier, and has now given us the first commercial satellite imagery showing the J-36 and J-XDS. The facility expansion is likely to see it support future advanced tactical aircraft developments, playing a bigger part in these endeavors going forward.

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A second prototype of China’s very heavy J-36 ‘fighter’ has emerged with major refinements. These alterations, compared to the first J-36 airframe, point to the program very much being iterative in its process. They also add to the evidence of what we already posited, that the first J-36 aircraft was not a highly mature, near-production-representative design, as some had repeatedly claimed. You can read our very in-depth initial analysis on the J-36 here.

Images of this second example of the J-36 emerged today on social media, showing the aircraft flying through Chinese skies from multiple angles. The images were likely taken near Chengdu Aircraft Corporation’s major plant in its namesake city, where initial flight testing of the first aircraft publicly emerged on December 26, 2024.

The new images show the same overall modified delta design we have become accustomed to, but with some major features changed in readily visible areas.

Exhaust

The first J-36 had exhausts that were recessed from the trailing edge atop the aircraft, an arrangement loosely similar to what was found on the Northrop YF-23. This is a noted low-observable (stealth) design cue and made sense for a big three-engined jet that optimized stealth, speed, and efficiency over raw maneuverability. Now we are seeing what appears to be three angular exhaust nozzles that look very similar to the two-dimensional thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles on the Lockheed F-22 Raptor — a design trait and capability that is also present on China’s new J-XDS heavy tailless stealth fighter.

The exhaust changes have major implications. First off, if indeed this is two-dimensional (2-D) thrust vectoring, why is it needed for what appears to be a very heavy multi-role tactical jet that is less fighter than regional bomber? It could be that a higher degree of fighter-like performance is desired, pointing to that mission set being prioritized. It could also be to solve certain stability and maneuverability issues during certain phases of flight. Tailless designs are inherently extremely unstable. Thrust vectoring can help with this and maximize potential performance throughout the flight envelope, including at very high altitudes.

It’s also possible that just a lower thrust vectoring ‘flap’ is being employed here and not a full 2-D exhaust system. This seems less likely, but it is possible, and could provide some degree of extra control without such a heavy redesign of the upper empennage.

The new, more heavily serrated design likely has an impact on the jet’s low-observable qualities, at least from the rear aspect. In order to pull off full 2-D thrust vectoring, the aircraft’s rear upper rear fuselage design would also have to be significantly remodeled, with the engine nacelles being pushed back to the trailing edge. The full extent of the changes to the upper end of the J-36 are unclear, but this was not a case of just slapping a thrust vectoring nozzle on there, as the original exhausts were deeply recessed forward of the trailing edge. Again, it looks like Chengdu designers traded some signature control for performance here.

Weight is also an issue, as thrust vectoring nozzles add complexity and mass, but for such a larger and heavy jet as it is, the impact is likely minimal.

Inlets

The original J-36 aircraft’s F-22-like caret lower inlets have been significantly revised. In our original analysis, we discussed how it was interesting that the dorsal intake uses divertless supersonic intake (DSI), which China is now accustomed to using on its aircraft, but the two lower intakes were a trapezoidal caret-like design. This has changed in the new iteration of the jet, with what appear to be DSI intakes taking the place of the original ones. The lower lips of these intakes also sweep forward, which is another trademark for this kind of design, and is especially pronounced on low-observable ones.

Landing Gear

The J-36’s tandem two-wheeled main landing gear — which provided a stark indication of how heavy the aircraft was — has been totally redesigned, with a twin-wheel side-by-side truck arrangement taking its place. While this may necessitate a deeper main gear well for stowage when retracted, it requires less area and smaller main gear doors, among other advantages. This is a relatively dramatic and surprising refinement, to say the least.

Other Takeaways

Another small tweak appears to be a less elaborate air data probe jutting out from the second J-36’s nose, although this could be an artifact of the high compression of the images. There are certain to be other outward tweaks to the J-36’s original design that we cannot see in these limited-resolution images taken in poor lighting. We can expect some refinements in shaping, especially where the intakes blend with the fuselage and other areas, although we cannot confirm this at this time. This is all in addition to what’s on the top of the new aircraft, which we haven’t seen at all at the time of writing.

Overall, these major changes a year after we first saw the design, point to an aircraft still very much in the stages of flight test demonstration/development and possibly to an accelerated iterative design scheme used to rush the aircraft into a production-like state. This new aircraft could also be an alternative configuration, not an evolutionary one, but that seems less likely at this time.

As we have repeatedly stated, the progress China is making when it comes to advanced combat aircraft is absolutely stunning. And yes, these aircraft are far more than their outward appearance and would need to rely on superior sensor and communications technology, low-observable material science, total force integration, and of course, operator and integrated training, in order to win the day. But taken at face value, China’s rapid progress with so many diverse platforms in such a short time is remarkable.

That being said, there are some that declare everything they see as late in development and near ready for production, regardless of the evidence. This is usually framed against an inflammatory U.S.-China competition narrative. Seeing this new iteration of the J-36 should underline just how fast China is working to refine the design, and it’s likely this was well in the works when the first example took flight. Still, claims that the J-36 was very far along in its development and even production representative when it first flew should now be put to rest.

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We are getting what could be our first look at China’s very large stealth ‘cranked kite’ flying-wing drone, unofficially dubbed the GJ-X, in flight. TWZ broke the news on the existence of this aircraft in September after it appeared in satellite imagery at China’s sprawling test airbase near Malan in Xinjiang province. We estimated then that the aircraft’s wingspan was roughly 42 meters (137 feet), which puts it in a very rare class for a stealthy uncrewed aircraft. Since our report, there have been persistent claims that the aircraft’s wingspan is larger than that of a B-21, but that is very unlikely to be the case. It’s still a gigantic stealthy flying wing drone, but it is not China’s largest, by a significant margin.

The short clip above shows what appears to be the same aircraft, or one with a very similar design, in flight. Building on that caveat, it is possible that the aircraft depicted is a different one than what was seen in the satellite image at Malan, with both aircraft sharing a similar ‘cranked kite’ planform. China has at least one other drone in development that shares a similar planform, although it’s possible that both aircraft are related developmentally.

It’s worth noting that we see ‘split rudders’ in the image as outboard control surfaces, which are common on flying wing concepts and found on the B-2. We also see a small hump that looks off center above the jet’s empenage. This is likely to be the top of the recessed engine exhaust pointing to a twin-engine design.

The most interesting detail from the short video clip is the aircraft’s underside coating. It appears to have a counter-shaded paint job that is intended to make it harder to properly identify the aircraft’s shape at altitude, with the dark design taking on a more traditional fuselage and wing shape. It’s possible this could also be a coating installation process byproduct, but the shape being so clearly like a conventional aircraft configuration points to camouflage. This technique has been used for many years to visually break up an aircraft’s shape and/or misidentify its orientation.

The purpose of this aircraft is perhaps the most contentious aspect of its existence. Some Chinese military watchers state it’s a very large unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with kinetic operations as its focus. Others claim it is straight-up an unmanned stealth bomber. Meanwhile, a reconnaissance role, taking on a similar task as America’s rumored clandestine ‘RQ-180’ high-altitude, long-endurance stealth drone, is maybe the most overlooked and probable possibility. But having a multi-role aircraft that can take on various tasks, from kinetic attacks to reconnaissance, would also be highly advantageous. We just don’t know conclusively at this time what China’s intent is for the design.

The GJ-X is just one of a dizzying array of stealth combat aircraft developments over the last year, starting off with the simultaneous first flights (or at least publicly witnessed and disseminated first flights) of the so-called J-36 very heavy stealth tactical jet and the heavy J-XDS fighter, both advanced tailless designs. A steady stream of other unmanned tactical aircraft of a similar generation have been spotted or unveiled, as well. The speed at which China is now moving when it comes to advanced combat aircraft development is truly stunning, and this is just what we are allowed to see, and maybe some leaks. Much more is underway in the shadows.

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Satellite imagery shows several GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV) were deployed to a very active dual-use military-civilian airport in western China for weeks between August and September. This would be in line with an operational test and might point to the GJ-11 having reached a semi-operational state. The Sharp Sword is a prime example of China’s heavy investment in flying-wing uncrewed aircraft, which stands in ever more stark contrast to the U.S. military’s eschewing of such designs, at least publicly.

Imagery in Planet Labs’ online archive database shows three GJ-11s at Shigatse Air Base, also known as Shigatse Peace Airport, in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, from August 6 through September 5. The Sharp Sword has been in development for more than a decade and is understood to be designed to at least perform penetrating air-to-surface strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It also has the potential for use in air-to-air combat as an electronic warfare platform.

At least two of the drones seen in the images of Shigatse have overall gray paint schemes, as is commonly seen on other Chinese crewed and uncrewed military aircraft. At least one additional example is seen with a red/brown colored protective covering of some kind. A Planet Labs image of Shigatse taken on September 10, seen below, shows Flanker-type fighters with similar covers.

Though its location is remote, Shigatse occupies a strategic position along China’s southwestern flank with India. It is situated just around 90 miles northeast of the boundary with India’s Sikkim state, which is one of a number of border areas between the two countries that have seen sometimes violent skirmishes. In the past five years or so, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been steadily working to expand its ability to project airpower from multiple bases in the Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions, as you can read more about here.

Shigatse’s main runway is one of the longest in the world, stretching approximately 16,404 feet (5,000 meters) in length. An additional 9,840-foot (3,000-meter) auxiliary runway, with seven large aircraft parking spots attached to it, was also completed at the facility back in 2017. An expanded apron for military aircraft was also subsequently constructed at the eastern end of the base. Work to further enlarge that apron, and to build what looks to be at least five hangars and other supporting infrastructure adjacent to it, has been underway for around a year now.

In line with all this, Shigatse has a significant and active PLA presence. In terms of crewed aircraft, there is a continuous fighter presence at the base, which has included Flanker-type and J-10s over the years. Satellite imagery shows that other fixed-wing military aircraft, including airborne early warning and control planes, as well as helicopters, operate from there, as well.

Shigatse is also a very well-established hub for drone operations, with various types, including members of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s (CASC) Rainbow family, having been continuously based there for years now. Shigatse was notably the first known operating location for the high-flying WZ-7 Soaring Dragon reconnaissance drone. WZ-7s, which also have a constant presence at the facility, are used to collect intelligence along the border with India.

The nature of the PLA’s activity at Shigatse strongly points at least to the GJ-11s having been sent there for some type of operational testing. Prior to this, Sharp Swords had been primarily spotted at test facilities, such as the sprawling and secretive base at Malan in Xinjiang province. The drones have been flying daily at Malan for more than a year now. Mockups have also been spotted at Chinese naval test and training facilities, as well as at parades.

Flying from Shigatse would offer a real-world opportunity to explore and refine tactics, techniques, and procedures for employing the drones operationally, as well as just how they might fit into existing force structures. The base, which lies at an elevation of nearly 12,410 feet (3,782 meters), also offers an especially high-altitude testing location, as well as one that is in proximity to an area of active tension with India and that country’s air defense overlay.

Having multiple Sharp Swords at the facility would also allow for demonstrations of their ability to operate cooperatively, as well as alongside crewed platforms, and potentially do so with a high degree of autonomy. China’s J-20 stealth fighter is regularly presented as a likely aerial companion to the GJ-11. TWZ has been highlighting for years how the two-seat variant of the J-20 would be especially well suited to the airborne drone controller role.

Un passage dans un reportage de CCTV-7 montre la possible collaboration entre un J-20 biplace et des #drones GJ-11 à faible observabilité.

La représentativité est à confirmer. pic.twitter.com/9Xy8Q8KQOO

— East Pendulum (@HenriKenhmann) October 12, 2022

The GJ-11 has already been in development for more than a decade, with a prototype with a substantially less stealthy design having first flown in 2013. A mockup with a drastically refined low-observable (stealthy) configuration broke cover at a parade in Beijing in 2019. Continued work on Sharp Sword now also includes a naval variant or derivative capable of operating from aircraft carriers and big deck amphibious assault ships, which has been referred to unofficially at times as the GJ-11H, GJ-11J, or GJ-21. Just over a year ago, TWZ reported in detail on clear evidence that the development of the GJ-11, overall, was accelerating, pointing to the drone getting increasingly closer to an operational state, at least in its land-based form.

Via ACuriousPLAFan/SDF: 😮

Supposedly not a recent image, but still the carrier mock-up and test facility at Wuhan has gained some new aircraft: Visible now are clearly mock-ups of J-15, J-35, KJ-600 and a GJ-11H on the flight deck.

(Image via @伏尔戈星图 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/UL6uk81zh4

— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 19, 2023

As noted, the GJ-11 is just one example of the PLA’s larger pursuit of multiple types of stealthy flying-wing drones for use as UCAVs and in other roles, especially high-altitude, long-endurance ISR missions. Three previously unseen flying-wing designs have emerged in China just this year. This includes the appearance of two particularly large types at Malan, which TWZ was first to report on in both cases. We had assessed years ago that an explosion of investment in flying-wing drones in China was likely to come, and that academic institutions tied to the country’s weapons development ecosystem would play a key role. The Chinese aviation industry has also been surging ahead, in general, in the development of new advanced crewed and uncrewed designs.

Chinese flying-wing UCAV developments, in particular, reflect something of a trend globally, with Russia, India, Turkey, and France also publicly pursuing this kind of capability to varying degrees. The U.S. military is pointedly absent from this space, at least that we know, despite decades of development work that looked for a time to be on the cusp of yielding operational platforms before various programs were abandoned. You can read more about that history in extensive detail in this past TWZ feature.

When it comes to China’s GJ-11, the imagery of Shigatse from August and September offers new signs that these drones are getting close to at least a limited operational state, if they haven’t already reached that milestone.

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The U.S. Department of Defense may finally be ready to choose which company will develop and build the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter. A report from Reuters today states that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally gave the green light for the selection last Friday. However, this is not the first time that there have been reports that this decision was imminent, as you can read about here, but these came to nothing.

The Reuters report publishes details provided by “a U.S. official and two people familiar with the decision.” Similar comments provided to Breaking Defense were attributed to “two sources.” The upshot is that the Pentagon could choose its preferred F/A-XX design this week. The program has long been even more secretive than the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance jet, which emerged earlier this year as the Boeing F-47. What is clear, however, is that the F/A-XX decision is now months later than planned.

Also interesting is the timing of this apparent move, coming so soon after President Donald Trump’s visit to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush over the weekend. He went aboard the carrier as the Navy celebrated its 250th anniversary and witnessed a firepower demonstration. While aboard the warship, Trump also met with senior Navy officials and saw the hardware of the current carrier air wing at close quarters — including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and E/A-18 Growlers that the F/A-XX will eventually replace.

At this point, the F/A-XX contest is understood to have narrowed to two companies.

Northrop Grumman is one of them. When it exited the USAF’s NGAD program around 2023, Northrop Grumman said it would focus on other priorities, including the F/A-XX, as well as the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Earlier this summer, the company presented a conceptual rendering for its submission for F/A-XX.

The other F/A-XX contender is thought to be Boeing, the prime contractor for the F-47.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin was reportedly eliminated from the competition in March. It now seems they were about to get cut from the program prior to the choice to leave it on their own accord.

TWZ approached the Navy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for comment on the apparent new development. Both declined to comment.

Notably, the Reuters story also includes the caveat, which it attributes to one or more of the sources, that “last-minute snags have delayed progress on the Navy jet in the past and could do so again.”

This points to the fact that, for many months now, the future of the F/A-XX program has been under scrutiny, with growing signs that it was at best in limbo. Boeing pushed back on that assertion back in June of this year.

Notably, like this report, it was Reuters that, in March of this year, published a story suggesting that the Navy was set to confirm the choice of F/A-XX that same week, something that never materialized.

In June, the Pentagon’s proposed budget for the 2026 Fiscal Year included enough funding to complete initial development work but didn’t include any further funds to actually start buying the aircraft. U.S. military officials said that this decision was made to avoid competition for resources with the Air Force’s F-47 and amid concerns about whether the U.S. industrial base would be able to handle work on both programs simultaneously.

At the same time, there have been questions, too, about whether Northrop Grumman would be able to support work on the F/A-XX while also grappling with the demands of the Air Force’s Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program, which is behind schedule and over-budget.

In July, however, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a draft defense spending bill that would reverse the Pentagon’s plan to freeze the F/A-XX program, as you can read about here. Approved by the committee in July, that version of the 2026 Fiscal Year Defense Appropriations Bill included $1.4 billion for F/A-XX.

The figure of $1.4 billion had also appeared in a call for additional F/A-XX funding that the Navy had reportedly included in its annual Unfunded Priority List (UPL) sent to Congress earlier in July.

While there has apparently been something of a dispute between the Navy and Pentagon leadership over the direction the program should take, the Navy has long spoken about its centrality to its future carrier aviation plans.

“The Navy has a validated requirement for carrier-based sixth-generation aircraft, and it is critical that we field that capability as quickly as possible to give our warfighters the capabilities they need to win against a myriad of emerging threats,” Adm. Daryl Caudle, the nominee to become the next Chief of Naval Operations, wrote in response to a question about F/A-XX ahead of his confirmation hearing in July.

Caudle was also present at the Navy’s 250th birthday in Norfolk, Virginia, wearing a flight suit alongside President Trump.

Not lost on Navy officials is the rapid pace of development that China is currently making in terms of carrier aviation.

The latest evidence suggests that China’s Shenyang J-35, its next-generation carrier-based fighter, may have entered limited series production and could even be in service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

In a standout development last month, the PLAN demonstrated a new ability to launch and recover aircraft from a catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, its first of this kind, the Fujian. As well as the J-35, the J-15T single-seat carrier-based fighter and the KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft have undertaken carrier trials on the new flattop.

With China rapidly developing even more advanced combat aircraft designs, and especially 6th generation stealth fighter-like aircraft, some variants of which will likely migrate to the carrier environment eventually, the pressure is on for the U.S. Navy to not fall behind. Calls have been growing to now move on F/A-XX in light of these developments.

China also has an expanding repertoire of advanced drones, broadly equivalent to the U.S. military’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), some of which would be suitable for adaptation for carrier operations. This could mirror U.S. Navy plans, in which the F/A-XX should eventually be a central part of a new-look carrier air wing that could feature as much as two-thirds uncrewed aircraft.

Once again, if we’ve learnt anything from the secretive F/A-XX program, it’s that it doesn’t always take the course that might be expected. But the appearance of Trump and Hegseth very much in the spotlight as the Navy marked its 250th anniversary, and China continuing to develop its carrier aviation capabilities at an impressive rate, might indicate that a decision on who will make the Navy’s next carrier-based fighter is finally due.

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What could be a major leak out of China features by far the clearest pictures yet of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s (SAC) J-XDS, also referred to unofficially as the J-50. This aircraft is a heavy sixth-generation stealth fighter design that features no tails, thrust vectoring, and a very sleek profile. It also has unique features, in particular its swiveling wingtip control surfaces. You can read our past analysis on this aircraft here and here.

While these images could very well be a fabrication, they appear to match very closely with other, less detailed views we have seen of this aircraft. As it sits now, we have to take them as unconfirmed, but there are no indications outright that they are not authentic. The only discrepancy we could find between these new images and past ones is the lack of an air data boom on the jet’s nose. But after further review of other lower-quality imagery of this aircraft from very recently, the boom appears to have been removed. This could also be a second airframe that is now in flight test that is not equipped with one, which is not uncommon for the early development phase of air combat aircraft. It’s also worth noting that we still do not know if these are technology demonstrators or more production representative designs. Considering the speed at which China is moving in terms of air combat systems development, it wouldn’t be surprising if the latter were true.

Up until recently, we have gotten mostly underside and silhouette views of this aircraft. Meanwhile, its super-heavy counterpart, commonly referred to as the J-36, which broke cover on the same days as the J-XDS back in December 2024, has been seen in much higher detail. One shot in particular of that aircraft was similar to this one, taken directly into the airfield where it is produced and based for flight testing.

These fresh images, if authentic, provide a new, detailed look at the sides of this exotic aircraft. Details that are very visible include its F-22-like 2D thrust vectoring exhausts, which include fine serrated edges around the exhaust housing, a common detail on stealth fighter aircraft.

Its very long diamond-shaped nose that features a deeply blended canopy is also very apparent in the images. The aircraft’s intakes are also seen in greater detail here, which are trapezoidal and feature a diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) arrangement.

Based on these photos, assuming they are not fabricated, the aircraft is conclusively operated by a single pilot — a detail that has remained unclear until now. The electro-optical target system (EOTS) enclosure is also visible under the nose, as are the aircraft’s side bay-like features that still remain something of a mystery due to their small size. Small bulges in the profile of the aircraft’s spine are seen behind the cockpit. It is not clear what this would be for, but they do look like small auxiliary inlet doors that are open. If they were fixed bumps, they would likely house apertures for a distributed aperture system (DAS) or other sensor/communications aperture.

And, of course, the aircraft’s trademark swiveling wingtips, which would help to keep the inherently very unstable tailless aircraft pointed in the right direction, especially during slow flight and hard maneuvering, are seen deflected downward.

Overall, the images are quite remarkable and give us a better idea of what this aircraft actually looks like from a side view in good light. We’ll have to see if the photos end up proving to show the real McCoy, but for now they are a welcome revelation.

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Lockheed Martin’s famed Skunk Works advanced projects division has lifted the lid on a new, higher-end stealthy Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) type drone named Vectis. The uncrewed aircraft is designed to be highly adaptable to an operator’s requirements, whether they be in the United States or elsewhere around the world, and is expected to fly within two years. Vectis notably follows Skunk Works’ failed ‘gold-plated’ high-stealth bid for the first phase of the U.S. Air Force’s CCA program, but still puts above-average emphasis on survivability compared to the other designs that service is now testing.

Skunk Works has yet to share exactly when development of Vectis began, but has described it as a product of a broader development philosophy it has adopted called the Agile Drone Framework. The framework prioritizes modularity and open mission systems, as well as interoperability in areas like command and control architectures, over any specific hardware. The name Vectis means lever or pole in Latin, and is meant to reflect the ‘leverage’ the platform offers.

“Meet Vectis, a Group 5, survivable, lethal, and reusable, Collaborative Combat Aircraft that embodies not only our pedigree in [crewed] fighter aircraft, autonomy, and uncrewed systems, but [that] is also enabled by that Agile Drone Framework,” O.J. Sanchez, Lockheed Martin Vice President and General Manager of Skunk Works, told TWZ and other outlets this past week. “Vectis will provide U.S. and allied warfighters with range, endurance, and multi-mission flexibility, including air-to-air, air-to-surface, and ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance].”

In the U.S. military’s parlance, Group 5 uncrewed aerial systems are the largest and most capable, covering anything pilotless with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds or more, and that can fly at altitudes of 18,000 feet or higher. When asked, Sanchez declined to offer any hard dimensions or other specifications for Vectis. He did say it was smaller than a Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter, but larger than one of the company’s Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT, pronounced ‘comet’) missile-like drones, which is a very broad size range.

Renderings of Vectis from Skunk Works show a tailless drone with a lambda wing planform and a top-mounted air intake. There is a pronounced chine line around the forward end of the fuselage and a shovel-like shape to the nose, as well as various conformal antennas and/or sensor apertures, all of which are indicative of low-observable (stealthy) design considerations. A short promotional video, seen below, also includes a cutaway view showing an S-shaped duct behind the air intake and exhaust shrouding, features that offer further radar cross-section and infrared signature reducing benefits.

Skunk Works’ Sanchez also said Vectis is runway dependent in its “current instantiation,” something we will come back to later on. Its landing gear configuration has not yet been shown.

Vectis’ core planform is interestingly reminiscent, in some broad strokes, of a rendering of a stealthy aerial refueling tanker concept Skunk Works first showed publicly last year. That aircraft had a much larger design, in line with its intended mission, with large clipped wings that had some lambda-wing attributes, as well as small outwardly-canted twin vertical tails. The look of the new survivable CCA also hearkens back to older concepts for advanced crewed combat jets from Lockheed and other companies, including from studies that fed into the Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program that led to the F-22.

There has been something of an uptick in recent years in new crewed and uncrewed tactical aircraft designs with lambda or at least lambda-like planforms. This includes one of the several air combat drone designs that emerged around a massive military parade in China earlier this month, as well as one of the two Chinese next-generation crewed combat jets that broke cover in December 2024. The stealthy Wingman drone design that European aerospace conglomerate Airbus unveiled earlier this year is another one of the many examples.

Skunk Works has also declined to share details about Vectis’ intended performance or what engine it might use.

“I would say that in the CCA space, our operational analysis doesn’t point towards supersonic [speed as a central requirement],” Skunk Works head Sanchez shared. “We’ll continue to refine that, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say supersonic is what we see as needed in this space.”

Vectis also has “endurance ranges compatible with Indo-Pacific, European, and CENTCOM [U.S. Central Command] theaters,” according to a Lockheed Martin press release, which does not elaborate further on this aspect of the drone’s capabilities.

What munitions and other payloads Vectis might be able to carry is unclear. Skunk Works’ Sanchez mentioned “reusable or flexible payloads,” but did not elaborate. The promotional video included earlier in this story shows a vignette in which the drones, operating together with an F-22, use unspecified sensors to spot and track aerial threats before being ordered to fire air-to-air missiles, presumably from internal bays, at those targets. Compact radars and/or infrared search and track (IRST) systems would be logical sensor options for supporting the air-to-air role.

As noted, Vectis is also intended to be configurable for air-to-ground and general ISR missions. Another promotional video Lockheed Martin has now released, which covers Skunk Works’ Agile Drone Framework more generally, seen below, shows Vectis drones firing air-to-surface missiles at an enemy air defense site.

Electronic warfare suites and signal relay packages might also be among the payload options for Vectis drones.

The design is “rapidly upgradable and customizable to align to shifting threat environment priorities,” according to Sanchez. “Vectis’ signature and comms are compatible with fifth and next-gen aircraft. We’ve conducted classified crewed-uncrewed teaming operations analysis, pairing F-22s and F-35s with Vectis, and the results are impressive.”

Sanchez clarified later that this operations analysis had been conducted in simulated environments as Vectis is not yet flying. Lockheed Martin is already well known for its extensive work in the unclassified realm on crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities, including in digital environments and through real-world flight testing, as well as instances that blend the two together. The F-22 is now in line to be the first airborne controller for Air Force CCAs. The company also now has a contract with the U.S. Navy to provide a common command and control architecture for that service’s future CCAs, which will leverage work on its Multi Domain Combat System (MDCX), a software-based package already being integrated into new drone control centers on American aircraft carriers.

“One of the most impressive attributes of the Skunk Works is its long commitment to open mission systems, to architectures that enable a large tent of folks to be able to plug in. That’s why we believe that interoperability is foundational to solving warfighter problems in the decades in front of us,” Sanchez said in response to a question about Vectis’ own level of autonomy. “So when we think about the autonomy and the underpinning software, everything about this will be aligned with the [U.S.] government reference architecture. Our experience delivering that level of capability through the MDCX system to the U.S. Navy, for example, is underpinned with the same approach.”

“We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with others,” he added. “While I won’t disclose exactly how we’ll partner or who we will align with on the software space, the fundamental architecture is open mission systems aligned with government reference architecture. And as that tent expands, we’ll be willing and able to adapt with others and potentially bring kit in alignment with other efforts that are being worked [on] by other companies.”

Sanchez highlighted a recently announced partnership between Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems’ FalconWorks in the United Kingdom as an example of how the company is already collaborating with others, but said that initiative is not tied to Vectis. He also touted demonstrations in the past two years of new capabilities to securely share classified data with foreign F-35 operators as additional examples, more generally, of the current internal focus on interoperability.

“We can connect the Vectis system with any other platform, or anybody or anything in the battlespace,” he said.

In his comments this past week, Sanchez did not speak directly to the matter of physical control interfaces, which has been a matter of contention in recent years, especially when it comes to ordering uncrewed aircraft around from the cockpit of a fighter. Skunk Works has said in the past that its immediate focus is on tablet-like and other touch-screen-enabled devices, but other options may emerge in the future. Questions have been raised about whether tablets, in particular, will create problematic additional burdens for pilots when directing drones during missions.

The Skunk Works’ Agile Drone Framework video shows pilots in F-22s and F-35s using wide-area touch-screen displays to control Vectis drones, as well as CMMTs and a higher-end flying-wing design. The latter drone has a design that looks evolved from Lockheed Martin’s secretive RQ-170 Sentinel, as well as the Sea Ghost concept the company put forward years ago for the U.S. Navy’s abortive Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program. Lockheed Martin has also included an advanced flying wing design, together with various others, in past promotional materials highlighting work on crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities.

Overall, “as the future of air power takes shape, Skunk Works is charting a critical path with this Vectis program to unlock new integrated capabilities at an ultra-competitive speed and price point. Vectis provides best-in-class survivability at the CCA price point,” he said during the press call this past week.

Sanchez did not provide any hard cost metrics for Vectis. The Air Force has said in the past that it is aiming for a unit cost roughly in the $20 million range for drones being developed under the first phase, or Increment 1, of its CCA program. The service has also said that it could pursue lower-cost (and less exquisite) designs for the planned follow-on Increment 2.

“Our Increment 1 offering had higher levels of stealth than were necessary in the requirements because of the operational analysis conviction of building something that actually had value to the Air Force over the long haul,” John Clark, then head of Skunk Works, had told TWZ and others at the Air & Space Forces Association’s main annual conference last year. “I think, hindsight 20/20, we could certainly armchair quarterback and say, well the Air Force isn’t valuing survivability right now, so we gold-plated something they didn’t need gold-plated.”

Clark added at the time that Skunk Works had shifted focus, at least to a degree, to exploring optionally expendable designs to meet the Air Force’s Increment 2 CCA requirements, which were still being finalized at that point and have yet to be detailed publicly.

“I think that there will … be a reckoning to come at some point when [the Air Force is] looking at [a scenario where] … I’m going to spend $15 million or $20 million an airplane, and the OA [operational analysis] is telling me that 80 percent or more of them don’t make it home,” Clark also said last year. “How many airplanes am I willing to spend that sort of money on before that’s a losing proposition financially as a nation.”

In April 2024, General Atomics and Anduril received contracts from the Air Force to continue developing their CCA designs, now designated the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, respectively. Both of those designs put less emphasis on survivability versus cost compared to how Vectis is currently being presented. In addition to Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman had also been in the running for Increment 1.

“When you talked to him at the time, there was certain analysis going for a specific competition that was [what] he was talking to,” Skunk Works’ Sanchez said this past week when asked about how Vectis fits in with Clark’s past comments. “There are design trades that we’ve made in this and mission applications where we clearly see the opportunity for a reusable, highly survivable, and flexible platform like Vectis to create mission effects that are far beyond what you would have without them.”

“So how it applies in each individual mission set starts to get classified … but we absolutely see at Skunk Works that the integration of teams, manned and unmanned teaming, is going to provide battlespace effects that solve hard problems,” he continued. “So that is becoming true, and so Vectis creates a unique space where a survivable platform can deliver effects, in both air-to-ground and air-to-air, by the way – at the time, I believe John was talking to a specific mission set – as well as provide critical information through like an ISR and targeting role, and again, opened up to more than one mission set as we look at both international force design and domestic force design.”

Sanchez also stressed that Vectis is not being developed at present with any particular potential opportunity with the U.S. military or foreign armed forces in mind.

“I would see the Vectis flexibility that’s being built in, along with its survivability, being very attractive to multiple mission problem sets, and then the agility and the way we’re doing the flexible payload design can be tailored towards specific countries or programs as they need,” he said. “So that tailoring will be work that we’ll continue to do with each, but not in direct response to any one [opportunity] – [we’re] more aligned with listening to all those customers, and our knowledge of the battle space has informed our design.”

“We have a lot of overlap with the U.S. Air Force and are supporting their approach to find the right requirements for their specific mission sets. So should the U.S. Air Force find that they need a highly survivable platform with the flexibility that Vectis enables for Increment 2, I think it’ll be a great candidate,” he continued. “We respect their process as they go through and see what’s needed. As you know, every force has specific requirements based on the rest of their force. So this fits squarely in the category of a survivable, reusable, and flexible CCA, and I absolutely think if that’s what the Air Force thinks they need, this would be a great candidate to meet those requirements.”

“The flexibility we show in that Agile Drone Framework through, say, MDCX, also says that you can command these in multiple locations. You can use smart autonomy integrated with a fifth-gen [fighter] cockpit, like the F-35, or perhaps you could do it off the deck of a ship if you needed to, like we’re doing with MDCX, or any manner in between,” he added. “And so we’re building in that kind of autonomy, that flexible autonomy, if you will, so that we can work with more countries, more partners to really listen to what their needs are. So that flexibility has been demonstrated through multiple demonstrations. Now we’ll go out and build it, and we’ll work to prove it in the open air.”

In discussing how Vectis could be adaptable to multiple U.S. and foreign operator requirements, Sanchez also spoke in more detail about the drone’s current dependence on traditional runways, as well as its ability to operate from more austere locations. In the United States, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps, in particular, are currently basing tactical crewed and uncrewed aviation force design decisions around the expectation of operating from distributed forward locations, many of which could be remote and with limited supporting infrastructure. This is all intended to create targeting challenges for enemies and reduce vulnerability, as well as bring aircraft close enough to their targets to be effective at higher sortie rates, especially in the context of a potential high-end fight in the Pacific against China. Other countries are coming to similar viewpoints, especially based on observations from the ongoing war in Ukraine. With all this in mind, reducing or eliminating runway dependence, as well as ease of operating and maintainability, have emerged as key areas of interest when it comes to CCA-type drones.

“Our analysis aligns with the U.S. Air Force, that runway accessibility is incredibly important in every theater, particularly in INDOPACOM [the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility]. So we’re very intentional about the flexibility that this system would enable in the theaters of interest,” Sanchez explained. “And so the amount of runways that will be available, the amount of flexibility to implement, whether it be an Agile Combat Employment approach, or a hub and spoke for other countries, depending on how it is, Vectis will be very capable in those spaces.”

Agile Combat Employment (ACE) is the U.S. Air Force’s current umbrella term for its concepts for distributed and disaggregated operations, as you can read more about here. The service has said in the past that the Increment 1 CCAs are the first aircraft being designed from the ground up with ACE in mind.

“We certainly understand the flexibility the U.S. Air Force might need,” Sanchez added. “And if there are other solutions that are runway independent, we would be working with them on those, but this one would be a runway-dependent solution.”

“The importance of sustainability, of reliability, and the ability to easily maintain a survivable airplane is paramount. So we have absolutely baked that into this approach, and I would tell you that we have, for a while, into our advanced systems,” he continued. “We’re leveraging both on the material side as well as just the simplicity of design, where important systems that you might be able to access are, how you get to them, and durable, reliable materials that enable much simpler maintainability. So we will be targeting a very high reliability rate and have it first and foremost, both the operations as well as our maintainers in mind to provide that operational flexibility.”

The head of Skunk Works was also asked about how Vectis might fit into concepts of operations wherein much of a CCA fleet might be kept in storage rather than being flown on a more day-to-day basis, including in routine training. As TWZ has noted many times in the past, the U.S. military, broadly, still has many questions to answer about how CCA-type drones will be deployed, launched, recovered, supported, and otherwise operated, as well as employed tactically.

“If you ask me, I think the ability … for folks to be able to train and integrate is going to be important in the CCA space. So we will have built into it [Vectis] the ability for it to be a daily flyer, reliably work alongside its crewed teammates to be able to integrate into operations for training, as well as for deployment,” Sanchez said. “At the same time, if the requirement is ease of storage and ease of assembly, it’s absolutely built into the design. So we would see that as an operations-defined design trade, as opposed necessarily to one that would be limited by what we’re presenting here. So that’s where we’ll work closely to listen with any individual customers that go from there on their operations choice, but the flexibility is built in.”

Vectis’ emergence comes amid a growing field of CCA-type drones in the United States and elsewhere globally that already reflect a number of different underlying force design concepts. Though the U.S. military continues to eschew more exquisite uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV), at least publicly, interest in designs in that category is also growing worldwide among American allies and partners. As TWZ has reported multiple times just in the past week, China has increasingly positioned itself as the dominant actor in the stealthy flying wing UCAV space, as well as a leader in advanced drone developments more broadly. Russia, India, Turkey, and France are also pursuing flying wing UCAVs.

Lockheed Martin has itself talked for years now about visions for future advanced drones and crewed-uncrewed teaming that include many different tiers of capability. Vectis is certainly not the only drone design the company is working on. Sanchez highlighted this past week that roughly 97 percent of what Skunk Works does is classified. On the other hand, the public disclosure of Vectis makes clear that the company sees this as an important play in the expanding CCA market space.

“We’re in progress now on the Vectis prototype. Parts are ordered, the team is in [sic] work, and we intend to fly in the next two years,” Sanchez said. “Our operational analysis shows a wide swath of capability that Vectis provides in multiple mission areas that are going to be relevant and solve hard problems that we couldn’t solve without this kind of collaboration. So we’ll continue to evolve that.”

“As things change, we’ll make changes. We’re not afraid to do that, and this shows that evolution of thought and adaptation to the mission needs,” he added.

It will be interesting to see how the development of Vectis now proceeds, especially within the larger and still evolving CCA space globally.

Contact the author: [email protected]

We now have our first look at the U.S. Air Force’s two flying B-21 Raider stealth bombers together at Edwards Air Force Base. The second pre-production B-21 arrived at Edwards yesterday after making its maiden flight from the Air Force’s Plant 42, which TWZ was first to report.

Both of the pre-production B-21s delivered to date are now assigned to the 420th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards, which forms the core element of the B-21 Combined Test Force. Edwards has long been a central hub for Air Force test and evaluation efforts, but saw significant expansion of its facilities starting in the late 2010s, in large part to prepare for the Raider’s arrival.

At least two non-flying Raider airframes are also being used to help with ongoing testing. Four more pre-production Raiders are in various stages of construction at Northrop Grumman’s facility at Plant 42. As of January, Northrop Grumman had received two contracts for low-rate initial production of additional B-21s, as well.

Unlike the first pre-production B-21, which took to the skies for the first time back in November 2023, the second example is still largely devoid of uniquely identifying markings, like serial number, two-letter base code, and unit crests. We can now see that there is a motif on the inside of the nose landing gear bay door featuring an ancient Greek-style helmet with wings spread behind, as well as what looks to be crossed spears below. We have reached out to the Air Force and Northrop Grumman for more information about these symbols and their significance.

The first B-21 has the nickname Cerberus and a silhouette of that three-headed dog from ancient Greek (and later Roman) mythology is painted on the outside of its nose landing gear door. The aircraft also has a bird silhouette painted underneath the nose, an homage to past Northrop corporate logos.

The picture of the two B-21s together at Edwards, as well as other new Raider imagery the Air Force has released in the past day or so, also further underscores the aircraft’s unusual cockpit window arrangement. TWZ has explored the design of the cockpit windows, including the visibility limitations they impose, in detail in the past.

We also now have our first look at the second pre-production B-21 in flight, which offers a new view of the bomber’s conformal inlets. The bomber’s inlets are one of the most exotic known features of the design, as you can read more about here. In general, low observable inlets are among the most critical aspects of a stealthy aircraft, and it has been publicly disclosed that the ones found on the Raider presented significant challenges during development.

The first flight of the second B-21 had already afforded the best look to date of the Raider’s broad underbelly, including its weapons bay configuration. As TWZ wrote yesterday:

“The high-resolution image of the underside of the second B-21 is particularly notable in that it shows a single main bay. The other two sets of outboard door apertures are seen sealed shut with fasteners lining their perimeters. They also appear to be at least configured for radiofrequency (RF) sensor apertures. Together, this all points to the Raider only having a single large central weapons bay, not a pair of smaller additional ones on the side, a possibility that had been raised in the past. You can read about speculation regarding these bays here. Regardless, this could possibly change in the future, but, at this time, these appear to be access doors to the engines and other systems, not auxiliary weapons bays.”

In a press release yesterday, the Air Force touted the testing benefits that will come from now having two B-21s at Edwards.

“The addition of the second aircraft expands the Air Force’s testing capabilities beyond initial flight performance checks, enabling progression into critical mission systems and weapon integration testing phases. This advancement marks a significant step toward operational readiness of the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber,” according to the release. “The presence of multiple test aircraft at Edwards AFB also provides Air Force maintainers invaluable hands-on experience in managing simultaneous aircraft sustainment operations, testing the effectiveness of maintenance tools, technical data and the logistical processes that will support future operational squadrons.”

A separate press release from Northrop Grumman also highlighted plans to demonstrate an “enhanced software package” that will allow it to “deliver seamless upgrades to the B-21 fleet, ensuring its mission capability and weapons evolve to outpace any threat.” Beyond opening up a more streamlined path to integrating new and improved functionality down the line, the Raider’s heavy use of open-architecture, software-defined mission systems has already been a boon to the aircraft’s initial development.

“We are capitalizing on the revolution in digital [processes] – models-based systems engineering, open mission systems architecture software,” Air Force Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost, then Director of Strategic Plans, Programs, and Requirements at Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), offered as an example back in 2022. “As an example, the software for the fuel control system, which is a pretty complex thing, is completely done on an aircraft that hasn’t even flown yet as a test article, because of how we’re able to do models-based systems engineering. And they actually built a fuel systems model and tested the software, and the software is ready to go.”

Armagost is now commander of the Eighth Air Force, which oversees all of the Air Force’s operational bomber fleets.

The Air Force’s current stated goal is to begin fielding the B-21 operationally before the end of the decade. The service plans to buy at least 100 of the bombers, though there are growing signs that the final fleet size could be larger, as you can read more about here.

“Concurrent with the expanded flight-testing effort, fiscal year 2026 will see the launch of extensive military construction projects at all three designated B-21 main operating bases,” the Air Force noted in its press release yesterday. “Ellsworth AFB, S.D., the first base set to receive operational B-21 aircraft, is already progressing rapidly on numerous infrastructure projects to ensure readiness when the aircraft arrive.”

With the help now of a second B-21, the test force at Edwards will continue to expand its work helping to pave the way toward future Raider operations.

Contact the author: [email protected]

A video has emerged that shows the maiden flight of a second pre-production B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Since July, U.S. Air Force officials have been openly talking about their hope to have two B-21s flying ‘soon.’

Jarod Hamilton, who also specializes in low-level aircraft photography, shared the footage of the B-21 taking off from the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, at around 8:00 AM local time. The video, seen below, shows the bomber continuing to fly with its landing gear down, which is indicative of initial flight testing. The Raider does lack the air data probe and trailing cone that were seen when the very first B-21 flew back in 2023. An F-16 chase plane is also seen flying alongside.

“We [a group of plane spotters outside Plant 42] saw the B-21 roll out and then it sat there and we waited for it,” Hamilton told TWZ. “We heard the engine noise and thought maybe they were doing taxi tests. But when the F-16 showed up, I knew.”

“It was incredible,” he said of seeing the Raider take off. “The sound, the power, I’ll never forget.”

Hamilton said he did not know how long the flight may have lasted, but tracked it for a few minutes until it was out of sight. The bomber may have flown to Edwards Air Force Base, which is also in California and currently hosts the B-21 Combined Test Force.

TWZ has also reached out to the Air Force for confirmation and further details.

The first of six pre-production B-21s also made its maiden flight in November 2023 from Plant 42 and subsequently moved to Edwards. The Raider’s prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, is building the bombers at Plant 42, which is a major hub for advanced and often classified aerospace development work.

“So this is an event-based process, based on the test team, the contractor, [and] the program office. I believe it [the first flight of the second B-21] will happen by the end of the year, but we’re not going to ever give them an artificial date that they have to make if it doesn’t bring the test program along to where they need to be,” Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara said during a virtual talk hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in August. “We’re going to proceed as we can, efficiently, effectively, and with a sense of urgency, but we’re also going to be event-based.”

“That’s really been the secret sauce to the B-21 right now, is no undue pressures. Let them do what they’re doing, and they’ll get us the world’s best aircraft here,” Gebara, who is currently Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, added at that time.

A second B-21 could make its first flight “shortly,” Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), had told Air & Space Forces Magazine in July. The service had previously told that outlet that its goal was for a pair of B-21s to be in flight testing in 2026. Northrop Grumman has also delivered at least two non-flying airframes to help with the test campaign.

Getting another B-21 into the air is an important new step forward for the Raider program that will allow for the further expansion of testing efforts. As of September 2024, the first flying B-21 was said to be making around two sorties every week from Edwards Air Force Base.

“The B-21 [program] is producing, its results-oriented in flight tests, basically on time, [and] basically on budget,” Gen. Gebara also said last month.

As it stands, the Air Force’s goal is to begin fielding the B-21 operationally before the end of the decade. The service also plans to buy at least 100 of the bombers, though that figure is increasingly expected to grow, as you can read more about here.

In the meantime, the Air Force’s current fleet of flying B-21s has now grown to two.

Update: 1:55 PM Eastern –

Jarod Hamilton has kindly shared additional still images from today’s B-21 flight from Palmdale with us.

Update: 3:35 PM Eastern –

The U.S. Air Force has now confirmed the first flight of the second B-21 and that the bomber has arrived at Edwards Air Force Base.

“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a statement. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft.”

The second B-21 Raider has taken flight! With two B-21s now flying, our test campaign accelerates.

We’re advancing mission system & weapons evaluations to ensure this aircraft delivers unmatched strategic deterrence and combat power for the @usairforce. #B21Raider #AirPower

— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) September 11, 2025

“The addition of a second B-21 to the flight test program accelerates the path to fielding,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin also said in a statement. “By having more assets in the test environment, we bring this capability to our warfighters faster, demonstrating the urgency with which we’re tackling modernization.”

“The B-21 Raider program represents a cornerstone of our strategic nuclear modernization,” Allvin continued. “The concurrent efforts in testing, sustainment preparation and infrastructure investments clearly illustrate our commitment to providing unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat threats well into the future.”

An Air Force press release highlights the value of adding a second flying bomber to the B-21 Combined Test Force, as TWZ already noted.

“The addition of the second aircraft expands the Air Force’s testing capabilities beyond initial flight performance checks, enabling progression into critical mission systems and weapons integration testing phases. This advancement marks a significant step toward operational readiness of the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber,” according to the release. “The presence of multiple test aircraft at Edwards AFB also provides Air Force maintainers invaluable hands-on experience in managing simultaneous aircraft sustainment operations, testing the effectiveness of maintenance tools, technical data and the logistical processes that will support future operational squadrons.”

“Concurrent with the expanded flight-testing effort, fiscal year 2026 will see the launch of extensive military construction projects at all three designated B-21 main operating bases,” the release adds. “Ellsworth AFB, S.D., the first base set to receive operational B-21 aircraft, is already progressing rapidly on numerous infrastructure projects to ensure readiness when the aircraft arrive.”

Northrop Grumman has also put out its own press release following today’s first flight of the second B-21, which it described as “robust.”

“The next phase of flight test moves beyond flight performance and into the weapons and mission systems that make B-21 an unrivaled stealth bomber. An enhanced software package will demonstrate how Northrop Grumman will deliver seamless upgrades to the B-21 fleet, ensuring its mission capability and weapons evolve to outpace any threat,” the company’s release explains. “The flight test expansion complements a robust ground test campaign that includes multiple B-21 aircraft. Engineers have rigorously tested the B-21 to certify it can fly in the most extreme mission conditions and are demonstrating the B-21’s durability by simulating lifetimes of flight conditions. These test results continue to consistently outperform digital modeling predictions, reinforcing confidence in the B-21’s performance and progress.”

“Northrop Grumman is preparing the Air Force to operate and maintain the B-21 through its advanced training and sixth-gen fleet management tools. The company is developing comprehensive training capabilities – to include high-fidelity, full-motion simulators, immersive labs and virtual spaces – as part of the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. Northrop Grumman is creating training content and devices for future pilots, weapons loaders, maintainers and support personnel to operate the world’s most advanced aircraft,” it continues. “Future Air Force maintainers will use the B-21 Fleet Management Tool Northrop Grumman is developing today for the aircraft’s sustainment and maintenance activities. Already equipped with flight test and performance data and informed by decades of sustainment experience across a variety of systems, the Fleet Management Tool will keep the B-21 mission ready for the American warfighter.”

Special thanks again to Jarod Hamilton for sharing the new imagery of the B-21 flying from Palmdale today with us.

Contact the author: [email protected]

The U.S. Air Force is hoping to see a second pre-production B-21 Raider stealth bomber take to the skies before the end of the year. The service also says it has conducted four more flight tests of the AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile, which will be a key nuclear weapon for the B-21, so far this year.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, provided updates on the B-21 program and other topics today during a virtual talk hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

“So this is an event-based process, based on the test team, the contractor, [and] the program office. I believe it [the first flight of the second B-21] will happen by the end of the year, but we’re not going to ever give them an artificial date that they have to make if it doesn’t bring the test program along to where they need to be,” Gebara said. “We’re going to proceed as we can, efficiently, effectively, and with a sense of urgency, but we’re also going to be event-based.

“That’s really been the secret sauce to the B-21 right now, is no undue pressures. Let them do what they’re doing, and they’ll get us the world’s best aircraft here,” Gebara added.

In July, Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), had told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the second B-21 could take to the skies “shortly.” The service had previously told that outlet that its goal was for two B-21s to be flying in 2026.

The first of six pre-production B-21s made its maiden flight in November 2023. As of September 2024, the bomber was said to be flying around two sorties every week from Edwards Air Force Base in California in support of ongoing testing.

The B-21’s manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, has also delivered two non-flying airframes to help with the test campaign. As of January, Northrop Grumman had received two contracts for low-rate initial production of additional B-21s, as well.

“The B-21 [program] is producing, its results-oriented in flight tests, basically on time, [and] basically on budget,” Gen. Gebara added in his remarks today.

U.S. military officials and members of Congress have described the Raider as a model acquisition program for years now. The Air Force’s goal is to begin flying B-21s operationally before the end of the decade.

When asked today about the expected size of the B-21 fleet, Gen. Gebara said that work is still ongoing to reach a firm number. The Air Force’s stated plan now is to acquire at least 100 Raiders, but that figure is widely expected to grow. Congress notably included $4.5 billion in funding to help accelerate B-21 production in a reconciliation funding bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July. The Pentagon is asking for billions more to support the Raider program in its 2026 Fiscal Year budget request.

“I think the work you’ve seen from the Congress to get us those additional funding [sic] tells me a couple things that are very important. One is, it’s going to go a long ways to be able to help us facilitize and get to the point where we can build this thing at scale,” Gebara said. “I think the other piece to it, though, is it’s an absolute show of confidence by the Congress that we’re on the right track on this program. We’ve done a lot of work to hold changes to the minimum, to allow the program office and the contractor to get after it, and it’s paying dividends.”

The final B-21 fleet “numbers will absolutely be reliant on the work STRATCOM [U.S. Strategic Command] is doing, on what is sufficient,” Gebara added. “But it’s important to remember this is also the backbone of our conventional force. And so we aren’t building out B-21 numbers only for our [nuclear] triad. We’re also building it out for our long-range [conventional] strike capability. And so all that will that will go into it.”

Gebara’s latter points here are directly in line with comments from Air Force Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost at a separate Mitchell Institute virtual talk earlier this month. Armagost, who is commander of the Eighth Air Force, which oversees all of the Air Force’s current bomber fleets, spoke at length about the new operational possibilities that will come from having a substantial number of B-21s, particularly in light of the ‘silver bullet’ nature of the current B-2 force. The Air Force has just 19 B-2s, not all of which are ever available for taskings, conventional or nuclear, at any one time. This inherently imposes limitations, which the B-21 is not expected to be burdened with, despite being a smaller aircraft with less ordnance capacity per bomber, as you can read more about in detail here.

“Our bomber force right now is optimized for raids and small-scale, a few nights at a time [type operations],” Gen. Gebra said today, something that was highlighted by the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on nuclear sites in Iran in June. “There’s no guarantee that’ll be the case in the future.”

All this being said, the B-21 will still have a critical nuclear deterrent role, including as a launch platform for the stealthy AGM-181 LRSO cruise missile. The LRSO is also set to be part of the future arsenal for the Air Force’s B-52 bombers, which are being deeply upgraded, overall, as you can learn more about here.

“Our LRSO missile, which will go on our bomber force, has had four successful flight tests in 2025 alone,” Gebera said during today’s talk. “Based on time, based on budget, it’s going very well.”

Flight testing of the LRSO has already been underway for years. However, other details about the highly classified missile, which Raytheon is been developing, remain limited. The Air Force released the first-ever public rendering of the missile, seen below, in June. You can find TWZ‘s previous analysis of that image, which may not necessarily reflect the current design, here.

The B-21 and LRSO are also both part of a larger Long-Range Strike (LRS) family of systems, much of which remains in the classified realm, as TWZ has explored in the past.

By all indications, the B-21 program continues to make steady progress, with a second Raider set to take to the skies sometime in the coming weeks or months.

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A recently emerged image shows a very large, low-observable, flying-wing aircraft in the air 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.

The new image of the aircraft in flight shows its rear aspect, with the landing gear down, large main undercarriage doors, and with B-2-style split rudders deployed on the outer wing, consistent with takeoff or landing. From this angle, we can see that its blended wing-body includes a broad center section, with a distinctly flattened top. No cockpit is visible, but that is a possibility that cannot be ruled out entirely. The shape of the center section also suggests this is a twin-engine design, with slot-like exhaust nozzles, but once again, the low resolution limits the degree to which these details can be made out.

At this point, it’s worth remembering that the emergence of this image was very possibly approved, tacitly or otherwise, by the Chinese government, and it may also have been manipulated at some point, potentially also for information warfare purposes.

While we can’t be sure, the aircraft seen in flight may well also be the same drone that was noted in satellite imagery parked at China’s secretive test base near Malan in Xinjiang province earlier this year. The image of the drone seen at this location, which is known to play a leading role in the country’s uncrewed aircraft development efforts, was provided to TWZ by Planet Labs archive and was taken on May 14, 2025. Based on the satellite image, the aircraft has a span of about 170 feet, which compares to 172 feet for the B-2 Spirit. Since its appearance, the drone has been dubbed WZ-X by some observers, pending any more details about its true designation or its manufacturer.

Both the aircraft in the new image and that seen in satellite imagery at Malan feature a very long tapering wing, longer than that found on China’s CH-7 stealthy flying-wing drone, which also features a notably deeper, curved center section than seen in the new image. The CH-7 is significantly smaller than the WZ-X, as well. At the same time, the design of the CH-7 has already been altered in the past, and the aircraft seen here might conceivably be a further development of this platform.

There are two possible features of the WZ-X that cannot be made out in the new image. The first of these is an apparent domed section on top of the center barrel. In contrast, the aircraft in the new image is noticeably flat on its upper surfaces.

There is also the suggestion that the Malan drone could possibly have a small set of angled vertical tails, which would help with stability, as you can read about here. While the presence of retractable fins cannot be ruled out in the new image, it’s also worth pointing out that the presence of shadows and possible distortion on the satellite image means that we can’t make definitive conclusions about its physical details.

Both the aircraft in the new image and the WZ-X also have a general similarity to the flying-wing aircraft that was spotted passing over the Philippines in 2021.

Regardless of the connection between these generally mysterious aircraft, the aircraft in the new image would appear to fall into a similar category as the WZ-X in terms of overall physical characteristics and size, although the second point is harder to determine. At the very least, a comparison of the size of the landing gear and the rest of the aircraft suggests a very large aircraft. China is currently working on a range of flying-wing type drone designs of various sizes, including large HALE drones. At least until now, the WZ-X was the largest Chinese design we have seen in this category.

Judging by what we can see of it, the aircraft appears likely to be a very large, high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) stealth drone. This may well put it in a category similar to the supposed U.S. RQ-180. The long wing would also seem to point to a design that’s been optimized for endurance at altitude.

As stated previously, the center section of the aircraft may not be noticeably deep, but it is broad, pointing to significant internal volume for sensors. Most likely, its mission would be very long endurance penetrating wide-area reconnaissance, with strike being far less likely for an aircraft in this class. Bearing in mind the probable long-range missions expected of it, the center section likely also accommodates beyond-line-of-sight communications systems.

It is also intriguing that the image has appeared at this point. In recent weeks, there has been a flurry of imagery leaked from China showing new crewed aircraft and drones, land systems, missiles, and naval weapons. Much of this is related to the huge upcoming military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II, scheduled to take place in Beijing on Sept. 3.

Whether the flying-wing aircraft is expected to take part in the parade in some form is unclear, but it’s certain that the emergence of the image is unlikely to be an accident. In the past, imagery of this kind has often been taken of new aircraft operating from a factory airfield. That might be more likely than it being photographed overhead Malan, which is a remote and secretive test facility. However, until more imagery emerges, we won’t know for sure.

Once again, it will be some time before we can conclusively determine the relationship between this aircraft and the WZ-X, although there are certainly strong similarities between them.

Meanwhile, it’s now increasingly clear that China is looking to field large, stealthy flying-wing aircraft designs as part of its future air combat ecosystem. As well as drones of this class in various sizes, other key projects include the tri-engined J-36, the J-XDS fighter, and possibly other crewed tactical jets. Then there is a host of smaller drones, including a growing fleet of ‘loyal wingman’-type collaborative drones. Perhaps most enigmatic of all is the H-20 stealth bomber, which is yet to break cover, and that is also expected to use a flying-wing design.

As regards the H-20, the size of the center fuselage and other features suggest this aircraft is something different. While the size and form of the H-20 remain elusive, any large flying-wing HALE drone could also influence the development of the bomber, if it’s not flying already.

Once again, the appearance of the new image of the aircraft underscores China’s rapidly accelerating next-generation air combat programs, which now include potentially several designs for very large, low-observable, flying-wing, long-endurance aircraft.

Contact the author: [email protected]

KEMI Badenoch has thrown down the gauntlet to Keir Starmer on the economy demanding no stealth taxes on Brits.

The Tory leader has written to the Prime Minister saying “tax rises are a choice”.

She has challenged him to repeat Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ promise at the Budget last year not to extend the freeze on income tax and National Insurance thresholds.

Failing to end the freeze as planned in 2028 would mean millions more Brits are forced into paying a higher rate of tax under fiscal drag.

This is when people are pulled into higher income tax brackets as inflation pushes their wages up.

It comes after a bombshell report said the Chancellor must find £50billion in her autumn Budget to keep the country’s finances in check.

She will have to raise taxes or cut spending to maintain her stated financial cushion of £9.9billion by the end of the decade, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

At the Budget, Ms Reeves said: “Extending the threshold freeze would hurt working people.

“It would take more money out of their payslips.

“I am keeping every single promise on tax that I made in our manifesto, so there will be no extension of the freeze in income tax and national insurance thresholds.”

Ms Badenoch asked the PM: “I am writing to you to ask: does this remain government policy?”

A Labour spokesperson said: “We’ll take no lectures from this failed Tory Party.

“They crashed the economy which sent bills and mortgages rocketing, and left a £22 billion blackhole.

“Kemi Badenoch’s next letter should be an apology to hard-pressed households for the Conservatives’ role in hammering their family finances.

“Labour is the only party focused on creating a fairer Britain.”

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LONDONERS have seen a 75 per cent rise in the “Sadiq Khan stealth tax” during the mayor’s time in office, we can reveal.

The levy — officially known as the mayoral precept — is added to council tax bills in all 32 city boroughs and has risen steadily since the Labour politician’s 2016 election.

For a Band D home, it has jumped from £280.02 in 2017 to £490.38 today.

In comparison, Liverpool asks £24, Cambridge £36 and Greater Manchester £128.95.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker charges nothing.

Much of this year’s London fee — £319.13 — goes to the Met Police to pay for cops.

Another £71.72 is for the London Fire Brigade and £77.09 for transport services.

The Greater London Authority, which includes Mr Khan’s office, takes the remaining £22.44.

The Sun told last week that he is on course to rake in £14million, most of it from motorists failing to pay the £12.50 daily ultra low emission zone (Ulez) charge.

City Hall Conservative Group leader Susan Hall said: “Sadiq Khan has taxed the life out of our city. Where has it all gone? Crime is out of control, traffic is at a standstill, nightlife is dead, house building’s virtually stopped and the green belt is at risk.

“To paraphrase the president of the USA, he’s a terrible mayor.”

A spokesman for the mayor said a record £1.16billion had been invested in policing this year, providing 935 neighbourhood cops.

He added: “Keeping Londoners safe is Sadiq’s top priority.”

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