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China test launches drone mothership that can carry 100 UAVs

Ashley N. Soriano

This view shows drones during the activation of the first unmanned aircraft battalion at the military base in Tolemaida, Colombia, on October 10, 2025. The Colombian army unveiled its first drone battalion on October 10, 2025, designed to attack and defend against illegal armed groups such as guerrillas, which use this type of aircraft to target both military personnel and civilians in a tactic that has transformed the armed conflict. (Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP) (Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — China has launched the world’s first drone mothership, a 35,000-pound unmanned aircraft that can deploy more than 100 smaller drones.

Jiutian (“High Sky” in Chinese) is the name of China’s massive jet-powered aircraft, known as an unmanned aerial vehicle, that took its first flight in the Pucheng region of Shaanxi province on Dec. 11.


Having a drone mothership would allow China to boost its aerial military capabilities.

“A key mission for the design is expected to be acting as a mothership for swarms of smaller uncrewed aerial systems,” TWZ reported.

It could also take on a supportive role in other areas, like transporting heavy cargo or providing support during natural disasters.

The state-run Aviation Industry Corporation of China unveiled the drone mothership a year ago at the Zhuhai Airshow in late 2024.