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deployment2026-08-27 00:00 UTC🇨🇳 Lop Nur Airbase area, Xinjiang, China (near Lop Nur Nuclear Test Base); drones referenced as operating out of Malan, Xinjiang
China expands Lop Nur test airbase in Xinjiang as large flying-wing drones undergo flight testing
Satellite imagery indicates rapid expansion of the Lop Nur airbase flight-test complex in Xinjiang, China. The article notes that two massive stealth flying-wing drones are in flight testing (referenced as operating out of Malan) amid broader PLA experimental aircraft development.
DETAILS
Type
deployment
Occurred
2026-08-27 00:00
Reported
2026-08-28
Location
Lop Nur Airbase area, Xinjiang, China (near Lop Nur Nuclear Test Base); drones referenced as operating out of Malan, Xinjiang
Coordinates
42.4805, 85.4633
Confidence
62 / 100
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
No damage reported; construction expansion of taxiways, hangars, and support infrastructure at a PLA flight-test center.
SOURCES