China says its GJ-21 stealth drone has carried out takeoff and landing operations from a Type 076 amphibious assault ship. Multiple outlets report that state media describes the event as the drone’s first shipborne trial milestone, framed as progress in China’s amphibious assault and shipborne UAV capabilities.
Channel NewsAsia and South China Morning Post both refer to the Sichuan as the host ship, saying the drone completed its initial takeoff and landing. The War Zone similarly highlights the claimed achievement, noting that signs of build-up to such a milestone have been growing for more than a year, and describes the reported activity as involving launch and recovery from the amphibious assault ship.
While all accounts center on the same claimed test event, the emphasis differs slightly: some focus on the “first takeoff and landing” wording used by state media, while others stress the broader significance for naval airpower and the longer-running development trajectory referenced in reporting.
