China News

Reuters

Uncrewed aircraft advance across U.S. and Chinese programs, with new mission systems, shipboard tests and defense orders

The U.S. Air Force tested autonomous mission systems on its XQ-67A demonstrator, while China says its GJ-21 uncrewed combat aircraft completed takeoff and landing tests aboard the Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan. Separately, TEKEVER won a USSOCOM order for AI-enabled ISR drones, and Saab and GA-ASI flight-tested an unmanned airborne early-warning capability on the MQ-9B.

Space.com

High activity

China says GJ-21 stealth drone completes first takeoff and landing from amphibious assault ship

Chinese state media says the GJ-21 stealth attack drone has completed its first takeoff and landing aboard the amphibious assault ship Sichuan, calling it a breakthrough in the ship program. The reported milestone follows more than a year of signs that China was preparing to demonstrate ship-based operations for the aircraft.

SpaceNews.com

Landspace wins tender to launch China’s Haolong reusable cargo spaceplane

China’s commercial launch provider Landspace has topped a tender to launch an unidentified spacecraft, reported to be the Haolong reusable cargo spaceplane intended to serve the Tiangong space station. The award links a private launch provider with a spacecraft program supporting China’s crewed orbital infrastructure.

Bloomberg

China’s space ambitions shift from catching up with the US to surpassing it

After 25 years of rapid progress that narrowed the gap with the United States, China is entering a new phase of space competition. Its stated ambition for the next quarter-century is not merely to match US capabilities, but to move ahead.

Bloomberg

China and the US Are Competing for Space Dominance

The War Zone

DIA warns China could field orbital directed-energy weapons capable of attacking satellites by decade’s end

The Defense Intelligence Agency says China could use space-based directed-energy weapons to target satellites by the end of the decade. The warning underscores growing concern over threats to orbital assets, though the summary provides no further detail on weapon capabilities or deployment timelines.

AeroTime

High activity

Photos purport to show COMAC CE-25A electric-aircraft demonstrator

Images circulating on social media appear to show a COMAC CE-25A electric aircraft demonstrator at an airfield. The sparse information available offers no confirmation of the aircraft’s status, capabilities or intended role, leaving the photographs as the only reported evidence of the project.

SpaceNews.com

High activity

U.S. intelligence releases rare image of China’s reusable spaceplane docked to another spacecraft

The Defense Intelligence Agency has published a rare image of China’s secretive Shenlong spaceplane in orbit, showing its payload bay open and another spacecraft attached at the rear. The reusable vehicle has flown four missions, according to reporting on the image.