Originally published on November 26, 2013<br /><br />China has successfully tested its first stealth combat drone, known as Lijian or 'Sharp Sword' on Thursday (November 21).<br /><br />It was reported that the test flight lasted for 20 minutes and was carried out in a testing base in southwestern China. <br /><br />The Lijian reportedly has a wingspan of 14 meters, smaller than the U.S. Navy's X-47B, which has a wingspan of 19 meters. It is powered by a single jet engine, presumed to be the Shengyang WP7 based on the design of turbojet engine Tumansky R-11. It is estimated that the Lijian's ordinance payload might not exceed 2,000 kg. The Chinese CM-506 small-diameter bomb, which has a range of 130 km against land or maritime targets, is said to have been recommended for the Lijian. <br /><br />The drone is also said to be similar to the X-47B drone being tested by the US Navy as well as France's experimental Neuron project. <br /><br />China has been developing stealth aircraft in recent years, including J-20 and J-31 stealth fighter jets.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. We've combined animation and video footage with a snarky personality to bring you the biggest and best stories from around the world.<br /><br />For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:<br />https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:<br />http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Stay connected with us here:<br />Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Google+ http://gplus.to/TomoNewsUS
