Six PL-16 missiles carried by the J-20 close in, forcing U.S. early-warning aircraft to urgently retreat 300 kilometers—finally realizing this is the true adversary!
According to multiple defense media reports including Aviation Week from the U.S., China’s new medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile, the PL-16, has entered combat deployment, with a range exceeding 300 kilometers. The J-20 can carry up to six PL-16s internally, increasing firepower density by 50% compared to its previous PL-15 configuration. Faced with this "stealth hunting" combination, U.S. early-warning aircraft are now forced to retreat and shrink their operational scope.
A foreign military enthusiast posted on a social platform sharing his prior comparison between the U.S. AIM-260 missile and China’s PL-15. He was thoroughly criticized in the comments section. Many users told him: “The PL-15 is already outdated—what you should really pay attention to is the PL-16.” After checking the facts, he realized they were absolutely right.
The PL-16 has entered limited deployment within the Chinese Air Force, capable of being carried by both the J-20A and the carrier-based J-35. Outlets such as India’s IDRW website and the U.S.’s Military Recognition quickly followed up, stating that the PL-16 was “specifically designed to solve the biggest challenge faced by stealth fighter pilots—how to enhance firepower without compromising stealth performance.”
Miniaturization is the core technological direction. The PL-16 measures approximately 3.8 to 4 meters in length and has a diameter of 180 to 203 millimeters—about 30% smaller in volume than the PL-15—yet it increases range from the PL-15’s 180 km to over 300 km. By eliminating mid-body wings and adopting foldable tail fins, it enables a “2×3” internal carriage layout in the J-20’s weapons bay, allowing for six missiles. If activated in “beast mode” for external carriage, a single aircraft can carry up to 14 missiles.
Double-pulse propulsion is the power core. Traditional missiles must choose between speed or range—both cannot be achieved simultaneously. The double-pulse technology allows segmented thrust control during flight, ensuring efficient long-range cruise while delivering an instantaneous high-energy burst in the terminal phase. According to domestic simulation studies, when the second-stage thrust is adjusted to 16.7% of initial value, the PL-16’s maximum range can reach 320 kilometers.
The guidance system achieves “silent hunting.” Equipped with a Ku-band AESA radar seeker, combined with bidirectional data link and BeiDou navigation, it forms a fully closed-loop guidance process. After launch, the fighter can immediately shut down its radar to maintain stealth, relying instead on early-warning aircraft or drones to update target positions via real-time data links.
Why are early-warning aircraft the primary target? Early-warning aircraft serve as the “brain” of the U.S. aerial combat system. U.S. operations in the Western Pacific heavily depend on E-3 early-warning aircraft for battlefield awareness and KC-135 tankers to extend fighter endurance. These large aircraft have poor maneuverability and large radar signatures; if destroyed, the entire U.S. combat chain would collapse.
Going forward, every Pentagon war planning document will need to re-evaluate a fundamental question: How can you fight a war if your “eyes” and “brain” must retreat 300 kilometers before hostilities even begin?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865673445166080/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.