Stealth Marvel

The world’s first 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine has been successfully installed in coastal waters off southeast China’s Fujian Province, representing a major advance in large-capacity offshore wind technology. Once connected to the grid, the turbine is expected to generate more than 80 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to supply power to about 44,000 households.

6 days ago | [YT] | 4

Stealth Marvel

The Nantianmen Project is a Chinese aerospace research and development initiative focused on exploring advanced air and space technologies for future military applications. Conceptualized around 2017, it is managed by AVIC Global Culture Communication, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, allowing it to function both as a research program and a public demonstration of technological ambition. Its primary aim is to develop integrated air and space systems, combining high-speed aircraft, unmanned drones, and airborne carrier platforms capable of deploying and recovering multiple aircraft while in flight. The largest conceptual platforms, sometimes referred to as “motherships,” are reported to exceed 200 meters in length and could carry dozens of smaller aircraft, offering extended operational range and flexibility.
The project also explores futuristic fighter jets and unmanned systems designed for extreme performance, including vertical takeoff and landing, dual-mode propulsion for atmospheric and near-space flight, hypersonic speeds, advanced stealth, and autonomous operation. Weapons concepts include directed-energy systems, particle-based weapons, and modular payload integration. Public demonstrations have featured models like the Baidi combat jet, Luanyao airborne carrier, and Purple Fire vertical takeoff fighter, often shown in simulations performing integrated operations. Analysts emphasize that the main challenge is sequencing and integrating technologies such as hypersonic propulsion, autonomous navigation, and advanced weaponry, rather than their basic feasibility.
While the largest platforms have not been physically constructed, the project functions as a research testbed for technological experimentation, operational concept development, and long-term strategic planning. It also includes public engagement efforts, such as immersive exhibitions in Shanghai, which allow the public to visualize advanced aerospace operations and demonstrate China’s ambitions in high-end aerospace technology. The project integrates unmanned systems with manned platforms, envisioning distributed operations where autonomous aircraft perform reconnaissance, strike, and support missions while a carrier remains at a distance.
Recent statements from Chinese military analysts indicate that the Nantianmen Project reflects long-term goals for air and space superiority. It is positioned as an experimental program to explore what is technologically possible, providing insights into the future of aerospace combat and influencing incremental advancements in conventional aircraft, drones, propulsion, and weapons systems. While many of the most ambitious concepts remain hypothetical, the project is real in terms of organization, research, prototypes, and demonstrations, serving as a roadmap for future aerospace innovation and strategic capability development.

1 week ago | [YT] | 3

Stealth Marvel

China’s commercial recoverable spacecraft Lihong-1 Y1 successfully completed a suborbital flight test, carrying rose seeds and a microgravity laser additive manufacturing device. The payload capsule spent about 300 seconds in space before landing safely via parachute at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
The mission exposed seeds to cosmic radiation to induce genetic mutations for new plant varieties and demonstrated the feasibility of using a rocket platform for space manufacturing. The test verified re-entry deceleration, recoverable payload functionality, and precision landing-control technology, supporting future space tourism development. The spacecraft features low launch costs, high flexibility, recoverable payload capability, and can reach altitudes of around 120 kilometers while providing a stable experimental environment for over 300 seconds.

1 week ago | [YT] | 1

Stealth Marvel

The Pakistan Navy conducted a comprehensive exercise in the North Arabian Sea, demonstrating operational readiness through the live firing of an LY‑80(N) surface-to-air missile from a vertical launching system, successfully engaging an aerial target. Loitering munitions were used to strike surface targets with precision, and open-sea trials of an unmanned surface vessel showed high-speed performance, maneuverability, precision navigation, and resilience in challenging conditions. The exercise was observed by senior leadership, including the Commander Pakistan Fleet, reaffirming the Navy’s commitment to safeguarding Pakistan’s maritime interests. The LY‑80(N) missile enhances the Navy’s long-range air defense capability, while the integration of autonomous platforms and precision strike systems reflects advances in modern naval warfare.

1 week ago | [YT] | 5

Stealth Marvel

Pakistan is actively promoting and negotiating exports of its domestically assembled JF-17 Thunder fighter jet as part of a broader defence diplomacy push that gained momentum after the May 2025 air clashes with India. In early January 2026, Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu met Bangladesh Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan in Islamabad, after which Pakistan’s military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, said a potential deal for JF-17 aircraft could be imminent. Bangladesh expressed interest in modernising its ageing air force, improving air surveillance and integrating air defence radar systems, while praising the Pakistan Air Force’s combat performance. Pakistan also offered fast-tracked delivery of Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, a lightweight, single-engine training plane already used by more than 10 countries including Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Iran and Iraq.
At the same time, Reuters reported that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were discussing converting about $2bn in Saudi loans into a JF-17 purchase, months after the two countries signed a mutual defence pact in September 2025. In late December 2025, reports also emerged that Pakistan had reached a $4bn agreement with Libya’s self-styled Libyan National Army, including the sale of more than a dozen JF-17s. None of these deals had been formally confirmed by Pakistan at the time, and Bangladesh had only expressed interest rather than signing a contract. Analysts note, however, that the JF-17 has long attracted attention because of its relatively low price, estimated at $25m–$30m per aircraft, and because recent events have enhanced Pakistan’s reputation for air combat effectiveness.
The renewed interest follows the four-day India-Pakistan air conflict in May 2025, triggered after gunmen killed 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir, an attack India blamed on Pakistan, which denied involvement. During the fighting, both sides launched missiles and drones across borders and at military targets. Pakistan claimed it shot down several Indian fighter jets, a claim Indian officials later acknowledged in part, without specifying numbers. According to Pakistan Air Force accounts, 42 Pakistani aircraft faced 72 Indian aircraft. India relied on Mirage-2000, Su-30 and Rafale jets, while Pakistan used Chinese-made J-10C jets, JF-17 Thunders and US-supplied F-16s. Former Pakistan Air Force air commodore Adil Sultan said Pakistan demonstrated strong performance against more expensive Western and Russian systems, making its aircraft more attractive to foreign buyers.
The JF-17 Thunder is a lightweight, all-weather, multirole fighter jointly developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation under an agreement signed in the late 1990s. Production is split roughly 58 percent in Pakistan and 42 percent in China. Pakistan manufactures the front fuselage and vertical tail, China produces the middle and rear fuselage, the aircraft uses a Russian engine, and Martin-Baker ejection seats from the UK, while final assembly takes place in Pakistan. The aircraft was unveiled publicly in 2007, inducted into the Pakistan Air Force in 2009 with the Block 1 variant, and upgraded through Block 2 to the most advanced Block 3, which entered service in 2020. More than 150 JF-17s now form the backbone of Pakistan’s combat fleet, replacing older Mirage III, Mirage 5 and Chinese J-7 aircraft.
The Block 3 version is considered a 4.5-generation fighter, equipped with advanced avionics, an active electronically scanned array radar, electronic warfare systems, beyond-visual-range missile capability, and air-to-air and air-to-surface roles, though it lacks the stealth features of fifth-generation jets. The radar allows tracking of multiple targets at longer distances, and the aircraft is designed for high manoeuvrability at medium and low altitudes. Pakistan describes it as combining firepower, agility and survivability in a cost-effective package.
Myanmar was the first foreign buyer, ordering at least 16 Block 2 aircraft in 2015, with seven delivered. Nigeria inducted three JF-17s in 2021. Azerbaijan ordered 16 jets in February 2024 in a deal worth more than $1.5bn and publicly displayed five of them during its Victory Day parade in November 2025. Pakistan also announced in November 2025 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with an unnamed “friendly country” for JF-17 procurement. Iraq, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia have previously explored purchases without finalising them. Although co-developed with China, the JF-17 is not used by the Chinese air force, which focuses on the J-10, J-20 and developing J-35. Pakistan, as the site of final assembly, is the main exporter and provider of after-sales services.
Compared with fifth-generation fighters such as the US F-22 and F-35, China’s J-20 and J-35, and Russia’s Su-57, the JF-17 lacks stealth but sits alongside other 4.5-generation aircraft like the Gripen, Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Tejas and J-10. These aircraft rely on reduced radar signatures, electronic jamming and long-range weapons rather than invisibility. Analysts argue the JF-17’s appeal lies in affordability, lower maintenance demands, flexible weapons integration, training packages, spares availability and fewer Western political conditions. Its combat reputation was further highlighted when Pakistan said J-10C jets shot down at least six Indian aircraft on May 7, 2025, and when Pakistan claimed a JF-17 struck India’s Russian-made S-400 air defence system with a hypersonic missile on May 10, a claim India denied.
Security analysts caution that expressions of interest do not automatically translate into contracts, as fighter acquisitions often take years. They also stress that combat outcomes depend not only on aircraft performance but on integration with radar systems, communications and pilot training. Still, Pakistan is using the May 2025 conflict to market the JF-17 as a combat-proven, accessible multirole jet suited to air forces with limited budgets. Observers say Islamabad sees arms exports as a way to project itself as a rising middle power and to deepen strategic alignments. In Bangladesh’s case, analysts note a significant shift in Dhaka’s posture toward Pakistan since a 2024 change of government, with potential aircraft deals signalling long-term military cooperation, training and after-sales ties that could last three to four decades, alongside growing Bangladeshi interest in Chinese platforms such as the J-10.

1 week ago | [YT] | 7

Stealth Marvel

Pakistan is close to finalising a $1.5 billion arms deal with Sudan that would supply attack aircraft, drones and air defence systems, according to sources. The package is expected to include Karakoram-8 light attack aircraft, more than 200 reconnaissance and kamikaze drones, Super Mushshak training planes, and possibly JF-17 fighter jets. The deal could significantly strengthen Sudan’s army in its conflict with the Rapid Support Forces by restoring air superiority, as the RSF has increasingly relied on drones. While funding details are unclear, Saudi Arabia may have helped broker the agreement, though sources differ on whether it is financing it. The deal highlights Pakistan’s expanding defence industry, which has recently secured multibillion-dollar arms sales and is seen by the government as a contributor to long-term economic stability amid ongoing IMF support.

1 week ago | [YT] | 10

Stealth Marvel

China’s domestically developed LQ-150 UAV, a 200-kg-class heavy-load drone with a composite wing, has successfully completed its maiden flight. The UAV supports various payloads—such as communication relays, electro-optical pods, and synthetic aperture radar—enabling applications in geographic mapping, resource exploration, and emergency rescue.

1 week ago | [YT] | 4

Stealth Marvel

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a U.S. Marine Corps contract to rapidly develop a Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft program. The effort combines Northrop Grumman’s autonomous systems, sensors, and mission software with Kratos’ Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system to operate alongside crewed fighters in high-threat environments. The solution includes a cost-effective mission kit with flexible sensors and software-defined capabilities, open-architecture autonomy software known as Prism, and the Valkyrie aircraft with modular payload bays and conventional takeoff and landing capability. By packaging proven mission systems into a smaller, more affordable uncrewed platform, the companies aim to deliver survivability, connectivity, lethality, and supportability at scale. With more than 20 successful flight demonstrations and extensive autonomous flight experience, the team is offering a low-risk, expedited path to operational capability and persistent joint crewed and uncrewed expeditionary operations for the Marine Corps.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

Stealth Marvel

HAIC's JL-10 maiden flight of the new year in 2026.

1 week ago | [YT] | 5

Stealth Marvel

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are reportedly negotiating a deal to convert around $2 billion of Saudi loans into the purchase of JF‑17 Thunder fighter jets, deepening military cooperation following a mutual defence pact signed in September 2025. The overall package could total $4 billion, including an additional $2 billion for supplementary equipment, weapons systems, and logistical support. The talks focus primarily on JF‑17 aircraft, a light combat jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China and produced in Pakistan, known for its cost-effectiveness and combat-tested reliability. The aircraft was deployed by Pakistan during the May 2025 conflict with India, enhancing its reputation as an operationally proven and versatile platform.
Pakistan has been actively promoting the JF‑17 internationally, highlighting its affordability, combat experience, and adaptability for multiple mission types, including air-to-air, air-to-ground, and reconnaissance operations. Recent defence exports, such as a $4 billion weapons deal with Libya’s eastern-based National Army, underscore Pakistan’s strategy to monetize its domestic defence industry and establish credibility as an arms exporter. Discussions have also occurred with countries like Bangladesh, indicating a broader effort to expand markets beyond South Asia and the Middle East. The potential Saudi deal would reinforce Pakistan’s industrial capacity, provide economic benefits through sustained production, and support employment while simultaneously advancing strategic objectives.
For Saudi Arabia, acquiring JF‑17s would enhance air force capabilities cost-effectively while avoiding delays and high costs associated with Western aircraft procurement. The deal aligns with the mutual defence agreement, which commits both countries to treat aggression against one as aggression against both, formalizing decades of security cooperation. Historically, Saudi Arabia has supported Pakistan financially during economic crises through deposits, deferred oil payments, and aid packages totaling billions of dollars. Structuring this deal as a loan conversion allows financial support to translate into operational and industrial outcomes, reflecting a pragmatic approach to economic and defence collaboration.
The JF‑17 deal, if finalized, would strengthen operational interoperability, demonstrate Pakistan’s production and logistical capabilities, and signal the reliability of its defence exports. Strategically, it would deepen bilateral ties while offering Saudi Arabia an opportunity to diversify its security partnerships amid uncertainty about broader regional commitments. Pakistan’s use of domestic production to support economic stability and generate foreign revenue reflects a broader approach to reducing reliance on international financial institutions. The deal would integrate economic, military, and strategic objectives, reinforcing both countries’ goals in a mutually beneficial arrangement and further establishing Pakistan as a credible supplier of combat-proven aircraft.

1 week ago | [YT] | 12