China’s 16-Ton Jiutian Drone, Capable of Launching 100 UAV, Completes Maiden Flight

China’s rapid expansion in the aviation and unmanned systems sector continues to reshape global aerospace trends.

With each new breakthrough, Beijing demonstrates not just industrial growth but a clear ambition to dominate next-generation aerial technologies. Adding to this momentum, China has now unveiled one of its most significant UAV achievements yet.

China’s largest domestically developed unmanned aerial vehicle, the Jiutian, successfully completed its maiden flight on Thursday, according to state-owned aviation giant AVIC.

Nicknamed the “Nine Heavens Aerial Mothership,” the aircraft took to the skies in Pucheng, Shaanxi Province, marking an important milestone in China’s UAV innovation journey.

The Jiutian is an impressive general-purpose drone measuring 16.35 meters in length with a 25-meter wingspan. Designed as a heavy-lift UAV with advanced multi-role capabilities, the aircraft supports a maximum takeoff weight of 16 tons and can carry a substantial 6,000-kg payload.

Powered for endurance missions, the drone can stay airborne for up to 12 hours and offers a remarkable ferry range of 7,000 kilometers, making it suitable for long-range civil and strategic operations.

AVIC says its design emphasizes a large payload bay, high operational ceiling, broad speed envelope, and short takeoff-and-landing performance—features that enhance its flexibility across diverse environments.

A major highlight of the Jiutian is its modular payload system, enabling a wide spectrum of roles:
– delivering heavy cargo to remote areas,
– supporting emergency communication networks,
– assisting disaster relief operations,
– conducting geographic surveying and resource mapping.

What truly sets it apart, however, is its ability to function as a “drone carrier.” The Jiutian can reportedly deploy over 100 small UAVs from an internal bay, offering possibilities for swarm reconnaissance or coordinated strike missions.

While it remains uncertain whether the aircraft will enter front-line PLA service, its debut clearly demonstrates China’s accelerating push into swarm-enabled and mothership-style UAV concepts.

Even as a prototype, the Jiutian highlights a new chapter in China’s unmanned aerial strategy—one built on modularity, mass deployment, and multi-role versatility. Its first flight is not just an engineering milestone but a signal of how future combat and civil aviation may evolve under Beijing’s growing aerospace influence.

For more aerospace news, check out JetlineIntel.
Want to buy aviation merchandise? VisitJetshop.in.
To read Jetlinemarvel’s updates on Google News, head over to Google News.