China is preparing its first flying aircraft carrier — "Jiu Tian" (meaning "High Sky") — for flight in June 2025, according to El Confidencial.
This aircraft has the capability to carry up to 100 drones and deploy them within a radius of 7000 km. According to official sources, the state television channel CCTV has reported that the first flight is scheduled for the end of June.
This project is aimed at testing drone-operated skirmishes and coordinated kamikaze attacks by the Chinese air forces. Such attacks are intended to overwhelm the enemy's defenses simultaneously with multiple drones.
For reference, "Jiu Tian" was first showcased at the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2024. This aircraft, with a wingspan of 25 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of 16 tons, can ascend to an altitude of 15,000 meters. This makes it a challenging target for many medium-range air defense systems around the world
