Chinese researchers have conducted a successful in-air refuelling test for unmanned aerial vehicles, potentially doubling the strike radius of an advanced drone programme to reach major US cities. The test featured two UAVs, one serving as the tanker and the other as the receiver, employing a robust vision-based navigation system under high-speed conditions.
Researchers at Northwestern Polytechnical University conducted a landmark in-air refuelling test for drones in December 2025, linking directly to China's advanced Jiu Tian drone programme. Jiu Tian is a heavy-duty unmanned platform capable of carrying more than 200 loitering munitions, with an official range of 7,000km (4,350 miles) that falls short of reaching the continental US from Chinese bases. However, integrating in-flight refuelling could double its effective strike radius, bringing major East Coast cities like Washington, New York, and Miami into plausible range.
The test utilised two unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One acted as the tanker equipped with a refuelling pod, while the other served as the receiver. During high-speed formation flights, the receiver autonomously located, tracked, and docked with the tanker under extreme conditions, relying on a highly robust vision-based navigation system.
This breakthrough is especially significant due to the university's institutional ties to the Jiu Tian programme, which can deliver deadly military weapons via drone swarms. Professor Bu Shuhui and others, including He Zhibin, are associated with the efforts, with prior mentions in Guangzhou, though the test's exact location remains unspecified.
The advancement underscores China's progress in UAV and AI technologies, potentially reshaping strategic capabilities, though no official confirmation of military deployment has been made.
