"The Aircraft Carrier 'Five-piece Set' May Be Upgraded in the Future! Experts Interpret the '5+X' New Model"

In late October, our military's first shipborne reconnaissance-strike integrated stealth drone "Attack-21" successfully took off and landed for the first time on the 076-class amphibious assault ship Sichuan. This marks another breakthrough in the development of our amphibious assault ships, indicating that the People's Navy has the capability for fixed-wing stealth drones to take off and land on large maritime combat platforms.

The "Attack-21" stealth drone features a tailless flying wing and a blended wing-body layout, with an internal weapon bay and fuel space. It made its public debut during the 2025 National Day parade.

Can the "Attack-21" successfully take off and land on the Fujian?

The successful takeoff and landing of the "Attack-21" on the Sichuan does it also mean that it can successfully take off and land on the Fujian?

Military Observer Wei Dongxu: I believe there is absolutely no problem, and one could even say there are no technical barriers. This will create a whole new combat mode. We often hear about the "carrier five-piece set" on the Fujian, but it's actually more than just five pieces; it could be "5+X". The most likely "X" is a shipborne reconnaissance-strike integrated stealth drone like the "Attack-21," as it can conduct joint operations with the J-35 manned stealth carrier-based fighter jet.

The "Attack-21" could become the vanguard and battering ram, dismantling the opponent's defense and early warning systems. The J-35 can provide cover for it, share information with it, and even issue combat orders to it.

Is it possible for manned and unmanned aircraft to conduct cross-platform coordinated operations?

So, is it possible for manned and unmanned aircraft to conduct cross-platform coordinated operations? For example, allowing the carrier-based aircraft on the Fujian to command the stealth drone "Attack-21" taking off from the Sichuan.

Military Observer Wei Dongxu: I believe there is a possibility for this, and there are two methods.

The first method is to use satellite communication means on the Sichuan to command the "Attack-21," allowing this type of shipborne reconnaissance-strike integrated stealth drone to venture into more distant areas for reconnaissance and target strikes, opening a relatively safer passage for the carrier-based aircraft forces.

The second mode is that pilots of the J-15T or J-35 can directly issue commands to the "Attack-21," allowing it to operate independently and directly hunt high-value targets in the deep areas.