How Does the "Mysterious Dragon" Become Invisible? Attack -11 More Hardcore Strength Revealed

November 11 marks the 77th birthday of the People's Air Force. On the eve of this day, the advanced equipment of the Air Force has begun to be gradually revealed. On the 9th, the People's Air Force released a video showcasing the Attack-11 stealth drone, codenamed "Xuanlong."

The video caption states that this is a "generous" display. Indeed, from the video, the "Xuanlong" is shown from various angles in "standard ID photos," with its most notable feature being its aerodynamic shape that employs a large flying wing design, meaning it has no horizontal or vertical tail fins; the entire aircraft itself is a large wing, giving it a very sci-fi appearance.

So, aside from its visible sci-fi shape, what hidden capabilities does the "Xuanlong" possess? What profound changes does its emergence bring to future battlefields, giving the People's Air Force a significant advantage?

"Heaven and Earth, Xuan Huang" "Flying Dragon in the Sky"

Where does the name "Xuanlong" come from?

As one of the few stealth drones in the world, the Attack-11 is undoubtedly a cutting-edge piece of equipment. However, within the rapidly evolving Chinese Air Force in recent years, the Attack-11 is not particularly new. It made its first public appearance during the National Day parade on October 1, 2019, as part of the unmanned combat formation.

In 2021, a model of the Attack-11 was also exhibited at the Zhuhai Airshow. Then, on November 11, 2025, on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the People's Air Force, a themed microfilm titled "Dream Far" was released, showcasing the J-16D, J-20, and Attack-11 in formation executing missions for the first time. However, whether it was the aircraft in the parade sitting on a vehicle, the model at the airshow lacking details, or the fleeting "group photo" in the microfilm, it was clearly not enough to satisfy military enthusiasts.

△ Model of the Attack-11 displayed at the Zhuhai Airshow, clearly showing the opened internal weapon bay

Until November 9, the Attack-11, as the main character, reappeared alongside its codename "Xuanlong." This time, various angles and details were clearly visible, but people instead focused on the name. What does the "Xuan" in "Heaven and Earth, Xuan Huang" and the "Dragon" in "Flying Dragon in the Sky" signify? Military commentator Fu Qianshao from China Voice's "Fengxian Liaowang" explains that the "Dragon" designation itself offers a glimpse into the capabilities of the Attack-11.

Fu Qianshao: We know that the previous Attack-1 and Attack-2 did not have codenames. However, their export variants are called Wing Loong, Wing Loong-1, Wing Loong-2, and so on. Clearly, these attack-capable reconnaissance-strike integrated drones are named after the dragon series; the Wing Loong is a dragon with wings. So what significance does "Xuanlong" hold? At the very least, being a dragon clearly relates to attack-type aircraft. We also have manned fighter jets that bear dragon nicknames, and drones are generally similar.

The best stealth performance in the world

How is one of the "Big Triangles" forged?

This unforgettable large flying wing shape resembles a traditional aircraft in everyone's mind that lacks a cockpit, vertical tail, and horizontal tail, leaving only a triangular large wing. Since it is a drone, the absence of a cockpit is understandable, but why is there no horizontal or vertical tail? Can it still fly steadily?

Fu Qianshao: Compared to other aircraft with vertical and horizontal tail fins, the tailless flying wing layout has excellent stealth performance. Its radar cross-section is small, especially from the side, where the radar cross-section is very small. By eliminating the vertical tail, this aircraft adopts a new control method, which is a split-type rudder. At the wingtips, two or four deployable wing surface rudders are installed, which change the aircraft's heading through the difference in drag on the left and right. It can be said that the Attack-11 or Xuanlong is currently one of the best stealth reconnaissance-strike integrated drones in the world.

△ Top view of "Xuanlong"

Moreover, from the video released on November 9, we can see that the surface skin of the "Xuanlong" indeed resembles the mysterious Xuan iron weapons in martial arts novels, cold and gleaming, smooth and flat, with almost no visible joints or gaps, greatly enhancing its stealth performance.

"Xuanlong"

First hit!

According to reports, during the Attack-11's first live-fire attack mission, Air Force personnel Shi Xiaoran, Fu Ting, and their comrades closely coordinated and achieved a first hit.

Shi Xiaoran: That day, there was a certain amount of cloud cover, and I thought for a moment that the missile might not be able to launch and would have to land with the payload. However, fortunately, after circling around again, I finally found the target and successfully launched, ultimately hitting the target, which relieved me greatly.

Where there is a "dragon," there is spirit

What other imaginative possibilities exist?

Although the moment of live-fire shooting has not yet been publicly revealed, we can clearly see from the static model exhibited at the Zhuhai Airshow that the Attack-11 is equipped with two internal weapon bays. So, what secrets are hidden inside?

Fu Qianshao: From the size of the weapon bays, their volume is relatively large, sufficient to accommodate various types of precision-guided munitions for air-to-ground attacks. This includes air-to-ground missiles and precision-guided bombs, whether using BeiDou navigation or laser targeting; these precision-guided weapons can all be mounted. Depending on the mission, the size and quantity of munitions carried in the weapon bays can vary. The largest munitions might be one per bay for precise destruction attacks on key targets. It can also carry smaller precision-guided munitions, allowing it to conduct batch precision strikes on multiple targets, especially moving targets, in one sortie.

△ "Xuanlong" weapon bay

What is not visible from the exterior is the "heart" of the "Xuanlong," which is the engine. Military commentator Fu Qianshao from China Voice reveals that the "Xuanlong" uses a turbofan engine similar to those found in many manned fighter jets.

Fu Qianshao: In the past, reconnaissance-strike integrated drones, including those from the United States, China, and other countries, generally used either piston or turboprop engines, which had a significant speed difference compared to active manned fighter jets, making coordination difficult. For example, when taking off simultaneously and reaching the combat zone, a better approach is to equip manned fighter jets with stealth reconnaissance-strike integrated drones that have similar speeds and maneuverability.

This means that the emergence of the high-speed, highly maneuverable "Xuanlong" allows manned fighter jets to no longer operate like motorcycles accompanied by bicycles in combat. This change could directly alter the tactics and strategies of future warfare, even changing the nature of future battlefields.

Fu Qianshao: In future combat operations, these reconnaissance-strike integrated drones will work in conjunction with manned aircraft, creating many new tactics and strategies. For instance, when they need to advance for reconnaissance, they will serve as the eyes of manned fighter jets, detecting targets in advance and transmitting relevant information to other platforms in the air. When necessary, they can also be tasked with ground attack missions.

These reconnaissance-strike integrated drones effectively increase the payload capacity of manned stealth fighters, allowing them to intercept aerial targets at long distances based on commands sent by pilots on manned aircraft. This could also become an important mode of future aerial combat.

These forward-deployed drones, due to their small radar cross-section, can also be used to attack enemy early warning aircraft, aerial refueling aircraft, electronic reconnaissance aircraft, and other large, less maneuverable platforms. It can be said that their emergence, especially in coordination with manned stealth fighters, will change the nature of future battlefields.

Of course, perhaps as many netizens speculate, when we "generously display" the Attack-11 "Xuanlong," it may also signify that more advanced, smarter, and more capable drones are already on the way, or even already in the sky. Let us look forward to it together.

Reporter丨Cui Tianqi

Video丨Cui Haitao