Chinese UCAV Takes Maiden Flight

Photographs have appeared on Chinese military blogs purportedly showing the maiden flight of the Lijian (Sharp Sword) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The photographs first appeared on Chinese language military websites: lt.cjdby.net and huanqiu.com on Nov. 21, supposedly the same day the flight occurred. According to lt.cjdby, the Lijian was designed by Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute (SADRI) and built by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HONGDU). According to Chinese-language media sites, the aircraft took flight at 13:00 for 20 minutes. Chinese websites are comparing the Lijian to the Northrop Grumman X-47B, Dassault nEUROn, and BAE Taranis.
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