Chinese stealth drone makes 1st test flight, reports say, in gain for domestic arms industry
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State media say China's first unmanned stealth drone made its first flight in the latest advance for the domestic arms industry.
Photos and video of the tailless delta-wing drone flying were posted Friday on the websites of People's Daily and other major outlets. The location of the 20-minute flight on Thursday was identified only as a southwestern China testing base.
The drone was identified as the Lijian, or "Sharp Sword," photos of which have been circulating for some time. The aircraft is similar to the X-47B drone being tested by the U.S. Navy for aircraft carrier operations, as well as France's experimental Neuron project.
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The capabilities of the drone and two manned stealth fighters that China is developing aren't known, although China's arms industry is producing increasingly sophisticated weapons systems.