27 August 2025

Sneak peeks of China's loyal wingman drones—such as the FH-97, which was first seen as a model at 2021's Zhuhai Airshow—are starting to emerge ahead of Bejing's 2025 military parade on September 3.

Satellite images of preparation for the event appear to reveal at least five loyal wingman UAVs—named "Collaborative Combat Aircraft" (CCA) by the United States Air Force—slated for public introduction. Obviously, China isn't revealing any details at this time, but experts assume these new drones may promise higher performance than previous models, as well as enhanced autonomy. Current images seem to show some drones without tails and modified delta wings, others with slender noses and wider bodies, and, given the perspective of the UAVs on the transport trucks, larger sizes overall. 

If China is "sizing up" its combat drone fleet, it would be following a different concept from some other militaries, who are exploring smaller, less-expensive drones—especially after the success of Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb attack against Russian airfields with small Osa drones.

See a Preview of China's Military Parade

What is China's Loyal Wingman Program?