On December 11th, the “Jiutian” unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), designed by the First Aircraft Institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), successfully completed its maiden flight in Pucheng, Shaanxi Province.
As a large general-purpose UAV platform independently developed by China, the “Jiutian” has a length of 16.35 meters and a wingspan of 25 meters. With a maximum takeoff weight of 16 tons and a payload capacity of up to 6 tons, it can operate for up to 12 hours and cover a ferry range (转场航程) of 7,000 kilometers. The UAV demonstrates advantages such as heavy payload capacity, high service ceiling, wide speed range, and short takeoff and landing capabilities, positioning its performance metrics among the top of similar products globally.