In tune with other leading military powers of the world, China has delved into the realm of the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV), a remotely-piloted aircraft with weapons delivery capability, through its unveiling of the Hongdu Lijian ("Sharp Sword"). The aircraft represents China's first official foray into a jet-powered, stealth-minded Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and is believed to serve the role of technology demonstrator for a possible future combat system.
The design was photographed during a taxiing run in May of 2013, officially marking its appearance in the Chinese aircraft inventory. The "Sharp Sword" is one of several all-wing designs tracing its roots to the AVIC 601-S UAV project. This includes "Wind Blade", "Cloud Bow", and "Warrior Eagle".
Externally, the vehicle takes on the form of the competing (and in-development) Northrop Grumman X-47B complete with frontal air intake and tailless profile.
The Lijian exited a period of development that spanned some three years and involved both Hongdu and Shenyang aircraft makers. The end-result was a flying wing with a turbofan buried within the bulbous fuselage. The overhead profile of the aircraft is reminiscent of the Northrop Grumman B-2 "Spirit" stealth bomber and lacks any vertical fins of any kind. It is presumed that there lies an internal weapons bay for munitions. The tricycle undercarriage is fully-retractable and consists of two main single-wheeled legs and a nose leg.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
November 2013 - The Sharp Sword prototype completed a first-flight of 20 minutes duration.
September 2019 - The Sharp Sword UAV is expected to be showcased in the upcoming October National Day parade celebrations involving the Chinese armed forces, hinting that the vehicle may very well have entered operational service or is close to such a feat.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
Width/Span
45.9 ft (14.00 m)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Hongdu Lijian (Sharp Sword) production variant)
Installed:
(Assumed) 1 x Shenyang WP7 turbofan engine developing 10,000lb of thrust (estimated).
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Hongdu Lijian (Sharp Sword) production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
Assumed support for precision-guided drop bombs, conventional drop bombs, and air-to-air missiles / air-to-surface missiles held internally.
Payload assumed to be no more than 4,500lb.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Lijian ("Sharp Sword") - Base Series Name.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.
China
