Update: China's Type 076 Sichuan takes on GJ-21 UCAV mock-up

The Hongdu GJ-21 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) has been developed for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and includes folding wings and a tail hook. However, development of the platform appears to have not yet been completed. (Janes)

An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) resembling the naval version of Hongdu GJ-11 has been seen aboard China's newest amphibious assault ship, the Type 076 (Yulan)-class Sichuan in Shanghai.

The naval UCAV, which has been referred to as the GJ-21 by Chinese state-owned media, is equipped for catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) flight operations.

Multiple images of Sichuan published on Chinese-origin internet websites between 31 January and 2 February 2026 show a delta-winged, tailless aircraft covered under a tarpaulin cover, parked on the deck of the vessel while the ship was in dry dock at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard on the Huangpu River in northeast Shanghai.

While the UCAV in the photographs appears to be a mock-up, its presence on the vessel is indicative of China's ongoing efforts to operationalise the capability. The 40,000 tonne Sichuan, which is equipped with a single electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) system and two elevators, will almost certainly field an airwing that includes unmanned platforms.

The photographs also show the UCAV on Sichuan's port elevator, with folded wings, parked ahead of a hangar entrance.

Dry-dock departure

The unmanned aerial vehicle's (UAV's) appearance on Sichuan