China claims its stealth drones fly 3x longer using 50% less energy than US rivals

China has allegedly taken over the US in the development of a state-of-the-art new stealth aircraft, a report from the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reveals.

Newly published research shows that Beijing is one step ahead of Washington in developing the next generation of stealth drones.

These rely on eliminating traditional control surfaces, such as flaps and tail fins to reduce radar reflections and thermal signatures.

China’s next-gen stealth drones

The next-generation stealth drones China is developing replace traditional control surfaces with fluidic systems. These steer jets using precise air pulses, enabling greater stealth and higher fuel efficiency.

According to the SCMP report, the Pentagon recognized the need for this technology early on. However, DARPA only greenlit the X-65 program in 2023 to develop and validate fluidic system jets.

DARPA, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, is responsible for stealth jets and GPS. The US agency is known for developing world-leading defense innovations. However, according to the new report, China has overtaken it when it comes to fluidic systems, which are also known as CRANE (Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors).

According to a paper by Professor Luo Zhenbing with China’s National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), the US’s X-65 program is years behind China’s operational systems. The paper, published in last month’s Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica journal, states that China was already testing a CRANE aircraft in 2021, while the US was still drawing up concepts.

China’s NUDT overtakes DARPA

Aside from being ahead in the development timeline, Luo and his colleagues also claim China’s technology has broader applications than DARPA’s X-65. Not only that, it is also more energy efficient and will have a longer operational lifespan.

It’s worth noting, of course, that DARPA’s technology is in the early development phase. This means that comparisons between the two technologies today won’t reflect the finished models.

China’s systems use DSJ, or dual synthetic jet, technology. This generates a pulse of air by vibrating ceramic plates in wing compartments. DARPA’s designs, meanwhile, which use single air chambers which are prone to breakdown. China’s DSJ units use two chambers that pulse alternately, reducing stress and preventing these breakdowns.

According to NUDT this dual-chamber design prevents pressure damage during dives. It can even enable underwater use. Using the technology, a submersible drone could suddenly rise from the sea and start flying.

Luo’s paper states that DSJ units last three times as long as the US’s equivalent while using half the energy.

China’s first DSJ-controlled drones – fixed-wing UAVs – took flight in 2021. In 2023, NUDT engineers started testing DSJ-controlled flying-wing drones. By contrast, DARPA’s X-65 program is still in the concept stage and no flight tests have taken place. That is, at least according to publicly available information.

The US’s big-tail drone, designed to validate fluidic controls for the US Air Force’s secretive Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, is expected to make its debut flight this year.