Foreign Media: China's Giant PL-17 Air-to-Air Missile Exposed Up Close

According to the U.S. website "The War Zone" (TWZ) on January 27, 2026: One of the most mysterious weapons in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) arsenal - the PL-17 long-range air-to-air missile - has apparently appeared in close-up footage in front of the public recently. This missile has existed for a relatively long time, but the official side has not disclosed any specific information. At the same time, the threat posed by this missile and other Chinese air-to-air missiles has prompted the United States to accelerate the development of new weapons.

The date and location of the photo are unclear, but it can be seen that this is a PL-17 (more accurately, a full-scale model) displayed on a stand at an exhibition or show. A man is standing in front of the missile for a photo, with his face blurred; behind the missile is a promotional board promoting the J-20 stealth fighter.

For years, there have been frequent "leaks" regarding new military aircraft designs and their accompanying weapons in China. Considering that the PL-17 first appeared in public view in a blurry photo about 10 years ago, its appearance at some exhibition today may not be surprising. As for the PLAAF, it has indeed released official images of the PL-17 (although they were taken from a distance, making it difficult to see details). The photo released by the PLAAF in 2023 was seen as confirmation that the missile had entered combat deployment or was approaching the service stage, mainly equipped on the J-16 "Flanker" fighter jet.

When the PL-17 first made a public appearance in 2016, the West referred to it as the PL-XX; later, it was speculated that it might be named PL-20, but according to the latest photos, the "PL-17" designation has been confirmed. There are reports that the missile was given a Western code name when it was put into service: CH-AA-12 Auger. From the beginning, the PL-17 was considered a long-range air-to-air missile, which is evident from its large size of about 6 meters (nearly 20 feet). For a missile of such range, its main target is likely to be high-value, large aerial assets, including tankers and early warning aircraft.

Specifically, the PL-17 uses a dual-pulse rocket engine and flight control through four relatively small tail fins and a thrust vectoring nozzle. It is reported that the missile has a range of approximately 400 kilometers (about 250 miles), although this number is influenced by various factors, and the actual range can vary significantly depending on the operational situation. Its maximum speed is believed to be at least 4 Mach.

In terms of guidance, the PL-17 is said to combine a two-way data link with an active phased array radar (AESA) seeker, and has strong resistance to electronic interference. In addition, there are reports that it may also be equipped with a passive anti-radiation seeker to assist the main seeker. This is particularly effective for targeting early warning aircraft or ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radar aircraft.

However, to fully utilize the ultra-long range advantage of the PL-17, operations would probably rely on other platforms to provide target data, such as friendly early warning aircraft (China has invested heavily in this area), other aircraft close to the target, ground or sea-based radar systems, or even satellites.

There were past speculations that the front side of the PL-17's body had an optical window, which may indicate that it also had an infrared seeker, but no such structure was seen in the full-scale model.

So far, the PL-17 has only been found to be mounted on the J-16 fighter jet. It is speculated that the missile may also be integrated into the internal bay of the J-20 for external mounting in the future. Obviously, the PL-17 is too large to be equipped on the J-10 series, let alone the J-35 light stealth fighter, which raises doubts about its export prospects. However, the missile may become a standard weapon for future domestic aircraft, especially sixth-generation fighters like the J-36, which have strong internal bay capabilities.

Regardless, the existence of the PL-17 and the development of other advanced Chinese air-to-air missiles has become a highly focused issue for the U.S. military. Concerns about China "reversing the missile gap" have driven the U.S. military to accelerate the development of a series of long-range air-to-air missile projects, including the still-secret AIM-260 "Joint Advanced Tactical Missile" (JATM).

Last year, the U.S. Navy deployed a limited number of an air-launched version of the "Standard-6" missile (SM-6), designated as AIM-174B. The range of this missile is classified, but it should be much greater than the current AIM-120D Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), and when targeting large targets, its range could be twice or even three times that of the latter. This means that it theoretically could strike certain types of airborne targets hundreds of kilometers away.

At present, there are still many mysteries surrounding the full performance and technical characteristics of the PL-17. But if the exposure photo is genuine, it indicates that Beijing is willing to reveal part of the appearance of this large missile to the public. From this perspective, we may soon learn more about this weapon.

Statement: The above equipment data comes from reports on the U.S. War Zone website.

【Follow this official account for more military news】

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855521002060809/

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