View source for Engineering:AVIC Dark Sword

{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
| name           = Dark Sword
| image          = File:Dark-Sword.png

| caption   =
| alt            = 
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
|type           = [[Engineering:Stealth aircraft|Stealth]] [[Engineering:Unmanned combat aerial vehicle|unmanned combat aerial vehicle]]
|national origin = People's Republic of China
|manufacturer   =  
|designer       = [[Company:Aviation Industry Corporation of China|Aviation Industry Corporation of China]] [[Organization:Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute|Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute]]
|first flight   = <!--If this hasn't happened, skip this field!-->
|introduced     = <!--Date the aircraft entered or will enter military or revenue service-->
|retired        = <!--Date the aircraft left service. If vague or more than a few dates, skip this -->
|status         = In development
|primary user   = 
|more users     = <!-- Limited to THREE (3) 'more users' here (4 total users).  Separate users with <br/>. -->
|produced       = 2006
|number built   = 
|developed from = 
|variants with their own articles = <!--Variants OF this aircraft-->
}}
|}

The '''AVIC Dark Sword''' ({{zh|s=暗剑|t=|c=|p=Àn Jiàn}})<ref name="DarkSword">{{cite web |title="暗剑"再次出鞘:"暗剑二"无人机惊艳全场 |url=http://military.china.com/zh_cn/dljl/zh08/11071840/20081106/15172451.html |date= 2008-11-06 |website=military.china.com |lang=zh |access-date=2008-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081108140140/http://military.china.com/zh_cn/dljl/zh08/11071840/20081106/15172451.html |archive-date=2008-11-08 | url-status=dead }}</ref> is a [[Engineering:Stealth aircraft|stealthy]] supersonic [[Engineering:Unmanned combat aerial vehicle|unmanned combat aerial vehicle]] from the People's Republic of China. It is being developed by the [[Company:Aviation Industry Corporation of China|Aviation Industry Corporation of China]]'s [[Organization:Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute|Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute]] for the air superiority or deep strike roles.<ref name="janes_image">{{Cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Kelvin |title=Image emerges of China's stealthy Dark Sword UCAV |url=http://www.janes.com/article/80697/image-emerges-of-china-s-stealthy-dark-sword-ucav |website=Jane's 360 |date=7 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144117/http://www.janes.com/article/80697/image-emerges-of-china-s-stealthy-dark-sword-ucav |archive-date=12 June 2018}}</ref> Use as an autonomous wingman for manned aircraft may also be a goal.<ref name="drive_image"/>

==Development==
A conceptual model appeared at the 2006 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition<ref name="janes_image"/> Early concepts featured a conical planform, static foreplane canards, a wide tail section with canted vertical stabilizers, swept wings, and a single-engine with forward-swept chin-mounted intake. A sub-scale demonstrator may have flown by mid-2018.<ref name="drive_image">{{cite web |first=Tyler |last=Rogoway |title=Image Of China's Stealthy 'Dark Sword' Fighter-Like Combat Drone Emerges |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/21324/image-of-chinas-stealthy-dark-sword-fighter-like-combat-drone-emerges |website=The Drive |date=5 June 2018}}</ref>

An image of a full-scale mock-up or demonstrator emerged in mid-2018. It was at least 12 meters long and shared low-observability features with contemporary Chinese aircraft including a diverterless supersonic inlet.<ref name="janes_image"/><ref name="drive_image"/>

The drone could potentially be paired with [[Engineering:Chengdu J-20|Chengdu J-20]] stealth fighter, specifically the twin-seat J-20S for aircraft teaming. Various "loyal wingman" prototypes, including the Dark Sword, were developed in China.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3156742/chinas-military-looks-j-20-jet-drone-match-combat-edge |title=China's military looks to J-20 jet-drone match-up for combat edge |website=South China Morning Post |date=20 November 2021 |first=Kristin |last=Huang}}</ref><ref name="afm_j20s">{{cite web|url=https://www.airforcemag.com/new-two-seat-chinese-j-20/ |title=China's New Two-Seat J-20: Trainer or Manned-Unmanned Teaming Platform? |website=Air Force Magazine |date=28 October 2021 |first=John |last=A. Tirpak }}</ref>

==Specification==

{{Aircraft specs
|ref=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2018-06-12/china-reveals-supersonic-ucav <br /> https://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/2019/06/chinas-next-generation-unmanned-assassins/ <br /> https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-soon-will-chinas-dark-sword-stealth-drone-be-airworthy
|prime units?=met 
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|genhide=

|crew= 0
|capacity= 0
|length m= 15
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=
|span in=
|span note=
|upper span m=
|upper span ft=
|upper span in=
|upper span note=
|mid span m=
|mid span ft=
|mid span in=
|mid span note=
|lower span m=
|lower span ft=
|lower span in=
|lower span note=
|swept m=<!-- swing-wings -->
|swept ft=<!-- swing-wings -->
|swept in=<!-- swing-wings -->
|swept note=
|dia m=<!-- airships etc -->
|dia ft=<!-- airships etc -->
|dia in=<!-- airships etc -->
|dia note=
|width m= 14
|width ft=<!-- if applicable -->
|width in=<!-- if applicable -->
|width note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|swept area sqm=<!-- swing-wings -->
|swept area sqft=<!-- swing-wings -->
|swept area note=
|volume m3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|volume ft3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|volume note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg= 
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg= 13,000
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg= 15,000
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|lift kg=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|lift lb=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|lift note=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number= 1
|eng1 name=Guizhou WS-13 
|eng1 type= [[Engineering:Turbofan|Turbofan]]
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 shp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng1 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|thrust original=
|eng1 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|eng1 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->

|eng2 number=
|eng2 name=
|eng2 type=
|eng2 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng2 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng2 shp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng2 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng2 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng2 note=
|eng2 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|eng2 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->

|eng3 number=
|eng3 name=
|eng3 type=
|eng3 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng3 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng3 shp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng3 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng3 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng3 note=
|eng3 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|eng3 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|more power=

|prop blade number=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=

|rot number=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia m=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia ft=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia in=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot area sqm=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot area sqft=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot area note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|perfhide=

|max speed kmh= 1,234
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach= 1
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km= 
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km= 1,000
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|glide ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|sink rate ms=<!-- sailplanes -->
|sink rate ftmin=<!-- sailplanes -->
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|disk loading kg/m2=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
|disk loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=

|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|armament= Bombs/missiles
|guns= 
|bombs= 
|rockets= 
|missiles= 
|hardpoints=
|hardpoint capacity= 
|hardpoint rockets=
|hardpoint missiles=
|hardpoint bombs=
|hardpoint other=

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
 |related =
 |similar aircraft =
* [[Engineering:Baykar Bayraktar Kızılelma|Baykar Bayraktar Kızılelma]]
* Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat
* [[Engineering:Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie|Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie]]
* [[Engineering:Northrop Grumman X-47B|Northrop Grumman X-47B]]
* [[Engineering:Dassault nEUROn|Dassault nEUROn]]
* Sukhoi Okhotnik
 |lists =
* [[Engineering:List of unmanned aerial vehicles of China|List of unmanned aerial vehicles of China]]
 |see also =
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Chinese Military Aircraft}}
[[Category:Stealth aircraft]]
[[Category:Flying wings]]

{{Sourceattribution|AVIC Dark Sword}}