A massive new Chinese stealth drone nearly as wide as a U.S. B-2 bomber has been spotted flying near one of Beijing’s most secretive military test facilities, offering a rare glimpse at an aircraft analysts believe could become a powerful long-range surveillance platform.
The mysterious flying-wing aircraft, widely referred to by observers as the WZ-X, has been undergoing testing at Malan Air Base in China’s Xinjiang region, a sprawling facility sometimes compared to America’s Area 51 because of the classified aircraft programs tested there.
New images circulating from China show the aircraft airborne, giving military analysts their clearest look yet at its unusual wing configuration.
Aviation researcher Andreas Rupprecht, who specializes in Chinese military aircraft, has assessed the WZ-X as a likely twin-engine, high-altitude, long-endurance drone designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The aircraft was first identified in commercial satellite imagery taken in May 2025 at Malan.
Its estimated wingspan of roughly 170 to 173 feet puts it in the same league as America’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which has a 172-foot wingspan.
But unlike the nuclear-capable B-2, analysts believe the WZ-X’s unusually long wings and compact center section point primarily toward an aircraft built to stay airborne for extended periods while gathering intelligence.
Rupprecht has estimated that the drone could have a range exceeding 12,000 miles and normally operate between roughly 59,000 and 66,000 feet, although neither figure has been confirmed by China’s military.
New photos confirm China’s WZ-X stealth drone has a unique stepped wing design — broad inner sections transitioning to extremely narrow outer wings.
Wingspan is roughly 170 feet, comparable to the B-2 bomber.
Analysts estimate it cruises above 59,000 feet with a range over… pic.twitter.com/Xj8y1lfXP6
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If those estimates prove accurate, the aircraft could theoretically travel enormous distances from Chinese territory while remaining high above conventional air traffic.
Its potential mission could include tracking warships, monitoring military installations, mapping air-defense networks and relaying targeting information to other Chinese forces.
That would make the aircraft particularly valuable across the Pacific, where the United States and China closely monitor one another’s naval and military movements.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has not publicly confirmed the WZ-X’s designation, manufacturer, mission or performance capabilities.
Its resemblance to the secretive American RQ-180 reconnaissance aircraft has also drawn attention, although the Chinese design appears substantially larger based on available imagery.
The WZ-X’s suspected cruising altitude would put it well above most commercial aircraft and even higher than the typical operating altitude of the B-2.
Flying at extreme altitude can improve endurance because of thinner air, while a stealth-oriented flying-wing design could make the aircraft more difficult for radar systems to detect and track.
Whether the WZ-X carries weapons remains unknown.
Analysts have so far focused primarily on its possible reconnaissance role rather than describing it as a confirmed strike aircraft.
Malan Air Base has emerged as a major testing ground for China‘s rapidly expanding fleet of unmanned aircraft.
Satellite imagery has shown extensive expansion at the facility in recent years, including new hangars, runways and other infrastructure associated with advanced aircraft testing.
Another enormous flying-wing drone has also been spotted at the same base. The second aircraft, sometimes referred to as the GJ-X, has a different cranked-kite design and an estimated wingspan of roughly 137 feet.
The appearance of multiple experimental aircraft at Malan has fueled comparisons to Area 51, the highly restricted Nevada installation long associated with classified U.S. aviation programs.
Area 51 played a major role in the testing of Cold War reconnaissance aircraft, including the U-2, before its existence was formally acknowledged by the CIA through declassified documents.
China’s newest aircraft remains far more mysterious.
For now, even the WZ-X name is unofficial, and its claimed range, altitude and mission remain analysts’ estimates rather than specifications released by Beijing.
But the newly surfaced images provide fresh evidence that China is actively testing a huge stealthy unmanned aircraft designed around extreme range, altitude and endurance, capabilities that could significantly expand Beijing’s ability to gather intelligence far beyond its borders.
