China has been quietly developing a penetrating unmanned aircraft capability over the last decade, but in recent weeks their efforts to field such a concept have seemed to of accelerated and become more public. This is occurring as American unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) development efforts have totally disappeared from the public domain, a phenomenon we have detailed in great depth, and one that has significant strategic repercussions.

At this year's Singapore Air Show, Chinese aerospace company Star Systems showed off a model of its stealthy "Star Shadow" flying-wing drone. It's design is very familiar, looking like something of a mix between the American P170 Polecat and X-47B designs, as well as Boeing's conceptual art for their failed Long Range Strike Bomber entrant.

Star Systems concept art

In fact, it eerily matches the look of an unmanned aircraft configuration released by Boeing, possibly taken from an actual simulation, for an unmanned aircraft refueling capability.

Boeing Image

Its similarities to American concepts does not mean the Star Shadow is a direct copy or knock off as western media usually proclaims whenever any Chinese weaponry resembles its American counterparts. Still, Chinese cyber espionage activities are notorious, and the country certainly was given a massive leap in low-observable unmanned technology—not to mention the communications infrastructure that supports it—by being able to closely examine the RQ-170 Sentinel that fell into Iranian hands in late 2011. As for the Star Shadow itself, supposedly it has roughly a 49 foot wingspan, is 23 feet long, has a gross takeoff weight of 9,000lbs and is capable of carrying a 900lb payload. It has a 10-12 hour endurance, a ceiling of roughly 45,000 feet and is powered by two TWS-800 turbofan engines. Overall it seems that the aircraft is similar in proportions to that of the RQ-170 Sentinel. And although Star Systems says this is an internally funded program, that may not be the whole story.

Chinese Internet The Star Shadow model displayed at the 2018 Singapore Air Show.

Last August, The War Zone debunked a report based on a satellite image that said Beijing's stealth bomber had been spotted. We pointed out that the image was actually of a much smaller flying wing design, likely a radar cross-section test article, located at a radar cross-section test range not far from Beijing.

The airframe pictured in the satellite image had a wingspan of only around 50 feet. It turns out that this design matches the Star Shadow's exactly, including its dimensions. Our conclusion at the time posited exactly this, stating:

"There is a decent chance that we will see China's new prototype bomber in the not so distant future—which will represent not just a massive leap in combat capability but also one in construction techniques and material science for Beijing—but this absolutely isn't it. Although it could share its shape, it's more likely that the article belongs to China's quickly advancing unmanned combat air vehicle development initiative or that of other flying wing drone programs—like the "Star Glory" SG-1 and CH-805 that are presently underway. The Star Glory in particular looks very similar to the object spotted in the satellite image and its stated dimensions seem near spot on."

In fact, it seems as if Star Systems has just refined their original SG-1 "Star Glory" concept and renamed it. Regardless, of its title, Star Systems says the aircraft's first flight is scheduled for next year, but we really have no idea how far along the project actually is. With a full scale radar cross-section test article existing, it's probably further along than we are being told. The company now claims that the aircraft has a radar cross section of .1 square meter. This claim likely comes from validation testing done at the radar facility seen in the satellite image from last summer. But this stealthy flying-wing unmanned aircraft program is one of number of similar initiatives that China is actively touting. Another program has emerged recently belonging to Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) dubbed "Tianying." This aircraft is said to have already made three flights with the program beginning four years ago. “Eighty percent of our drone’s technologies are the newest and most advanced, some of which are leading the global [drone] industry” Ma Hongzhong, Tianying's chief designer said on Chinese social media. The aircraft is said to have been designed for long-range operations. Pictures of the craft surrounded by the CASIC team that designed it were also posted online, with the aircraft being blurred out, although its flying-wing design is clearly evident.

Chinese Internet

Another Chinese flying-wing drone also emerged on social media recently. Supposedly it belongs to Chengdu—China's premier fighter aircraft manufacturer. It isn't clear if the type is a sub-scale test article of a larger system or some other research and development effort. There have been rumors that China is working on an unmanned flying wing design that can have its wings swapped out for different mission profiles. For instance, longer, more slender wings for high-altitude endurance operations and shorter, thicker wings for maximum kinematic performance and maneuverability. It's worth noting that the same tow bar appears in both the tweet below and the image above. Although that doesn't mean it's the same aircraft, it does gives us an indication of scale. Chengdu has largely pioneered China's stealth aircraft technology, with their J-20 being the first stealth fighter outside the United States that has entered operational service. It seems like a given that the company would also step into the UCAV space, especially considering their stealthy sensor, communications, and advanced avionics sub-systems integration knowledge.

The first appearance of a large-scale Chinese built stealthy UCAV-like aircraft was in 2013 in the form of the "Sharp Sword." This aircraft design is from Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute and Aviation Industry Corporation of China, with Hongdu Aviation Industry Group doing the construction work on the project. The system is understood to be progenitor of a high-end UCAV that will be coming online sometime around 2020. It is thought to be capable of carrying a similar payload to manned tactical aircraft, namely two 2,000lb class guided munitions, as well as the satellite communications systems needed to enable missions far from the Chinese mainland. UCAVs typically have a range advantage over their manned counterparts which equates to roughly two to four times the combat radius.

Chinese Internet Sharp Sword