The stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) is being touted a huge win for Chinese aviation technology, Popular Science reports. It was built by Aviation Industry Corporation of China, and is equipped with two internal bomb bays.
This could carry a payload of roughly 4,400 pounds. The 33-foot-long Sharp Sword craft has a wingspan of roughly 46 feet and uses a non-afterburning WS-13 turbofan engine with serpentine inlet to mask it from enemy radar. Sharp Sword first flew in November 2013and has a similar appearance to a small B-2 flying wing bomber and the American X-47B. And, a second, stealthier version may have begun flight tests last year, according to Popular Science. These craft are able to pack the same amount of payload inside as a manned vehicle but within a smaller space.