First flight of China’s Jiu Tian, a long-range heavy UAV designed to deploy more than 100 drones

China has taken a new step in expanding its unmanned airpower capabilities with the first flight of the Jiu Tian, a large UAV conceived—among other roles—as an aerial mothership for drone swarms. The milestone was officially confirmed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and reported by state media outlets Xinhua and Chinamil.com.cn, which released initial specifications for the aircraft.

The maiden flight took place in Pucheng, Shaanxi Province, marking the transition from ground validation to a full flight-testing campaign that will determine its operational maturity. While the official statements emphasize civil applications—cargo transport, emergency communications and disaster relief, and geospatial surveying—the Jiu Tian is widely regarded as part of China’s broader push to operationalize swarm-launching platforms aligned with the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) priorities in autonomy, network-centric warfare, and massed aerial saturation.

A Large UAV Designed for Modularity and Strategic Reach

According to AVIC, the Jiu Tian is 16.35 meters long, features a 25-meter wingspan, has a maximum takeoff weight of 16 tonnes, and carries up to 6,000 kilograms of payload. It offers a ferry range of more than 7,000 kilometers and endurance of up to 12 hours.

The design—first showcased at Airshow China in Zhuhai in 2024—includes a fuselage-mounted jet engine, an H-tail configuration, and an interchangeable ventral module that forms the operational core of the system. This belly module can be tailored for multiple mission profiles: launchers for attack or reconnaissance drones, loitering munitions dispensers, electronic warfare payloads, ISR packages, or cargo racks for logistical missions.

In its military configuration, program-linked sources and earlier public displays indicate that the Jiu Tian may be able to deploy up to 100 drones from high altitude, effectively functioning as an autonomous airborne command node for saturation tactics. Concept materials highlight operational envelopes up to 15,000 meters, enabling it to bypass mid-range air defense systems and maximize dispersion of a coordinated swarm.

A Vector for Saturation Operations and Asymmetric Warfare

Doctrinally, the Jiu Tian aligns with the PLA’s shift toward distributed architectures, coupling long-endurance UAVs with smaller drones operating in coordinated swarms under AI-enabled guidance. This approach aims to overload enemy sensors and SAM systems, create temporal windows for manned platforms, and increase persistence over contested zones.

Although its size and lack of visible stealth shaping may expose it to advanced air defenses, most assessments emphasize that large drone-carrier platforms are not intended for frontline penetration. Instead, they would operate under layered protection, at high altitudes, or from distances that limit exposure to interception. Its declared endurance and range support such a concept of operations.

The PLA’s growing emphasis on large unmanned platforms reflects a broader strategic objective: reducing reliance on manned aircraft, expanding operational persistence without risk to pilots, and reinforcing distributed command architectures through autonomous airborne nodes.

Mass, Autonomy, and Scalable Effects

The Jiu Tian’s maiden flight cements China’s effort to field large, high-capacity unmanned systems capable of functioning as force multipliers within a future multidomain conflict. Its combination of payload capacity, modular architecture, and strategic range positions it as a key component of a system-of-systems approach that prioritizes mass, algorithmic coordination, and scalable saturation effects.

Although official communications continue to emphasize civilian roles, the aircraft’s entry into flight testing indicates that the PLA now possesses a fully functional demonstrator for high-altitude swarm-launch concepts. Analysts are expected to monitor the program closely, given its potential implications for regional balances and for the broader evolution of autonomous air combat.