【Military Second Dimension】 Author: Lile

After the appearance of the PL-17 for nearly ten years, the U.S. website "The Word Zone" has once again paid attention to this heavy air-to-air missile due to an image of unknown origin. "Maximum speed of 4 Mach, maximum attack range of 250 miles (about 400 kilometers)" is a simple assessment of the PL-17's performance by the website. "It cannot be carried by the J-10 or J-35 and is difficult to be used in the export market" is the only "disadvantage" found out of necessity.

▲ The PL-17 has received new attention again

As a "super long-range air-to-air missile," which made a fleeting appearance on the J-16 ten years ago, it was accidentally confirmed to be in service a few years ago (it seems to be an accidental exposure). However, at that time, most people were only amazed by its huge size and decent range, but lacked sufficient understanding of the actual value of the PL-17. When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in 2022, the Russian Aerospace Forces repeatedly used the R-37M to shoot down Ukrainian aircraft at ultra-long ranges, with very few losses of fighter jets in air combat being exposed, after which people began to understand the significance of a 400 km range. Subsequently, the United States, while vigorously developing the AIM-260A, also developed the large-sized AIM-174B based on the ship-launched "Standard-6", highlighting the urgent need of the U.S. military for long-range air-to-air missiles.

▲ The J-16 is indeed suitable for carrying the PL-17

Compared to the difficult progress of the U.S. and Russia, China's Air Force, which has already mass-produced the PL-17, undoubtedly has an advantage. The operational system used by the Pakistani Air Force in the "May 7th" air battle outlines the great power of long-range air-to-air missiles when supported by an advanced air combat system in a non-stealthy system. It can be imagined that if the J-10CE were replaced by the J-16, and the ZDK-03 and PL-15E were upgraded to the KJ-500 and PL-17, then the Indian Air Force's formation would not be "locked onto dozens of aircraft, and only six were shot down to limit the consequences," but rather "almost all frontline aircraft were locked, and the final loss would depend entirely on the opponent's mood."

▲ The KJ-500 has evolved into a more powerful version

The large size is indeed a problem. The J-10C would not only have to overcome the instability caused by the length of the PL-17, but also provide strong battlefield information and endurance time. The situation for the J-35 is only slightly better, but it still cannot solve the fundamental problem. The website "The Word Zone" says that the PL-17 is currently difficult to accompany these two for export, and it's not baseless. The problem is that China will not export such strategic equipment in the short term, while the Navy and Air Force themselves operate the PL-17, supported by heavy platforms such as the J-15, J-16, and J-20. In the future, as the concept of unmanned wingmen, verified on fifth-generation and sixth-generation aircraft, becomes mature, this shortcoming can be easily resolved.

▲ The J-10 currently has little to do with the PL-17

Stealth fighters have too many factors to consider, and they must take care of everything, so their stealth bays are very limited in size. Therefore, China specially developed the PL-16, which is most suitable for fifth-generation fighters, based on the PL-15. However, drones can focus on a few combat areas and abandon many secondary factors, thus easily obtaining a large-size stealth bay. In other words, although the J-35 is not easy to carry the PL-17, even the J-20 family needs to give up the stealth layout to carry the PL-17, but the heavy stealth unmanned wingman accompanying the operation can serve as a carrier for the PL-17 to operate together.

▲ The J-20 cannot carry the PL-17 in its stealth bay

Since the ZDK-03 can guide the PL-15E to shoot down the "Rafale," and the J-10CE mainly serves as a missile launch platform during that period, the PL-17, with a longer range, only needs to be supported by a high-intensity command and information system, and the hardware requirements for the carrier aircraft will only be lower. Perhaps the development cost of the heavy stealth unmanned wingman is not low, but compared to the "impossibility" of traditional manned fighter jets, and the effective range of the PL-17 reaching 400 kilometers, the benefits are far greater than the costs. The "disadvantages" listed by the "The Word Zone" website actually expose its lack of understanding of the most advanced tactics of AVIC (China Aviation Industry Corporation).

▲ The fleeting glimpse of the past has become a national treasure

Of course, looking at the current situation, the massive J-36 may have the potential to completely solve the problem, and even further increase the benefits. Technically speaking, the stealth bay of the J-36 can fully accommodate the PL-17. The only fear is that the Air Force may no longer be satisfied with the range of the PL-17 and may actually equip the next-generation air-to-air missile, which is said to have a range of 1000 kilometers and high-speed flight characteristics.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7600354078962483747/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.