China’s New Stealth Drone Spotted Flying for First Time

So-called ‘GJ-X’ has a reported wingspan of 137 feet.

Zach Vasile

Monday, October 20, 2025 at 05:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

China's J-35 [Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Key Takeaways:

Images and video circulating online suggest China's suspected new stealth drone, unofficially dubbed "GJ-X," has made its first flight.
The Chinese government has not acknowledged the existence of the aircraft, which features a "flying wing design" similar to the X-47B.
The drone's exact role, whether an uncrewed combat vehicle or a stealth bomber, is debated among Western observers.
This first flight follows previous sightings of the GJ-X on the ground at Malan Air Base in September.

See a mistake? Contact us.

An aircraft that could be China’s new stealth drone, unofficially dubbed the “GJ-X,” has been spotted flying for the first time.

Images and video of the aircraft began circulating on social media site X over the weekend. The accounts that shared the images and video identified it as the GJ-X, though this is difficult to verify as the Chinese government does not acknowledge its existence. The GJ-X name was coined by Western aviation reporters and enthusiasts, not the Chinese military.