IRIA News

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China has conducted the maiden flight of what it describes as the world’s largest drone “mothership,” marking a significant step forward in the country’s development of large, multi-role unmanned aerial vehicles capable of deploying massive drone swarms.

The aircraft, known as Jiutian, meaning “nine heavens,” completed its first flight in China’s northwestern Shaanxi province.

The reports from Chinese media groups provided operational detail and confirmed the successful test of the platform, which has been likened to an airborne aircraft carrier.

The flight has underscored Beijing’s growing focus on unmanned systems as part of a broader effort to modernize the People’s Liberation Army and expand both military and civilian aerospace capabilities.

Airborne Drone Carrier

Jiutian was first unveiled publicly at an air show in Zhuhai in 2024, where it drew attention for its size and payload capacity. Developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the drone measures 16.35 meters in length, has a wingspan of 25 meters, and a takeoff weight of 16 tons.

According to specifications released by Chinese media, the aircraft can carry up to six tons of payload and remain airborne for more than 12 hours. It has a reported service ceiling of up to 15,000 meters and a ferry range of approximately 7,000 kilometers.

Jiutian is being described as a “domestically developed general-purpose drone,” highlighting its modular mission-payload system and its ability to operate across a wide speed range with short takeoff and landing capabilities.

China has flown Jiutian, the world’s largest drone mothership, capable of carrying six tons of payload, including bombs, air-to-air and anti-ship missiles, and deploying over 100 kamikaze drones. pic.twitter.com/vbYApgEbuT

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 12, 2025

Swarm Warfare Capabilities

Central to Jiutian’s design is its ability to deploy large numbers of smaller drones mid-air. Chinese media and defense analysts say the drone can carry and launch more than 100 loitering munitions or small attack drones from a compartmentalized internal bay located in its fuselage belly.

AVIC has previously confirmed that the platform is intended to act as a mothership for drone swarms. Wang Yanan, chief editor of the Chinese magazine Aerospace Knowledge, said such swarms could “overwhelm enemy air defenses in future asymmetric warfare scenarios.”

In addition to its internal bay, Jiutian features eight external hardpoints capable of carrying guided bombs, air-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, and kamikaze drones, weapons designed to loiter over an area before striking targets.

Weapons experts note that while the aircraft’s size enables significant payload and range advantages, it could also reduce stealth in contested airspace.

Civil and Military Roles Emphasized

Chinese state media have repeatedly emphasized Jiutian’s civilian applications. Xinhua said the drone’s modular payload system allows it to conduct disaster relief, geographic surveying, heavy cargo transport to remote areas, and communications restoration following natural disasters.

The aircraft is also expected to assist in medical and rescue operations by scanning affected regions from high altitude.

Despite this emphasis, analysts say the platform’s design clearly supports military missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, electronic warfare, and large-scale drone deployment.

Chinese state outlet China Daily said the drone’s modular design “allows it to carry different kinds of mission payloads, including guided bombs, air-to-air missiles, cruise missiles and loitering munitions.”

Revival of the ‘Flying Aircraft Carrier’ Concept

Jiutian’s first flight has revived interest in the century-old concept of an airborne aircraft carrier. In the 1920s and 1930s, the United States experimented with Akron-class airships that carried and recovered small fighter aircraft mid-air.

In modern warfare, the idea has re-emerged with drones. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the effectiveness of drone swarms and low-cost unmanned systems in destroying far more expensive targets, including tanks, ships, and strategic bombers.

Drone motherships have already appeared in limited forms in Ukraine, where larger drones carry smaller systems that would otherwise lack the range to reach their targets. These platforms, however, are far smaller than the Jiutian mothership China is now testing.

In September, the United States demonstrated a similar concept by launching a Switchblade 600 loitering munition from an MQ-9 Reaper.

Broader Drone Push

China’s progress in unmanned systems has been supported by its large manufacturing base and experience in the civilian drone market. Companies such as DJI and Easy Fly Intelligent Technology (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. have helped establish China as a global leader in drone production.

Jiutian itself is produced by Xi’an Chida Aircraft Parts Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a state-controlled defense firm, and developed under AVIC’s broader UAV program.

President Xi Jinping has highlighted combat drones as part of China’s military modernization drive, showcasing new unmanned systems at a military parade in Beijing in September that also emphasized nuclear forces and missile capabilities.

Testing Phase Before Operational Use

Despite the successful maiden flight, Jiutian is expected to undergo an extended series of operational and systems tests before joining the PLA’s active UAV fleet.

Xinhua said the aircraft “leverages independent, integrated technological innovation to deliver core advantages,” citing its altitude performance, payload flexibility, and endurance as among the best in its class.

Defense analysts say the program reflects Beijing’s interest in future warfare concepts centered on massed drones, asymmetric tactics, and long-range unmanned strike capabilities, trends accelerated by lessons drawn from conflicts such as Ukraine.

As testing continues, Jiutian’s performance will be closely watched by military planners and rivals alike, particularly for what it signals about China’s ability to deploy coordinated drone swarms at scale.