The Chinese Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) appears to be expanding the firepower and combat capabilities of the J-20 stealth fighters. Air missile. But that comes at the expense of the stealth capabilities of the aircraft.
This comes after we, the F-35 and the Russian SU-57 aircraft, were found carrying externally mounted missiles. The complete story of the SU-57 can be read here.
A video was recently posted to social media featuring a flying J-20, which appears to be equipped with eight PL-15 medium to medium-range air missiles. A total of eight missiles were seen in a pair of four underwing pylons on the aircraft, while the rest were stored inside the main weapons bay.
Posting the image to social media site X, PLA Watcher Rupprecht Dieno said that similar images were circulating on social media in December 2024, a Chinese J-20 flying in “Beast Mode.” indicates that it may not be seen first.
Later, another PLA watcher, “Hurin,” posted a photo of another J-20.
The J-20 has three internally hidden bays of weapons, one on the abdomen and one on either side of the engine. Previously, over-view missiles in the main weapons bay could carry one PL-10 short-range missile into one of the side bays.
However, in recent years, China has been seeking ways to expand the number of primary weapons that the J-20 can carry inside the internal horse carriage. It is carried by an external pylon.
The PL-15E missile was announced at the Zhuhai Air Show held in November 2024. This is the compact, foldable fin design variant of the PL-15 AAM. The J-20 can carry six of these foldable FIN missiles into the main weapon bay, compared to just four PL-15s.
As explained in the Eurasian era at the time, the PL-15E was produced to give Chinese fighter jets a clear edge in long-range combat and increase the firepower of combat jets without sacrificing stealth characteristics. Ta.
This fix was thought to have been inspired by Amraam being inspired to fit smaller fins into the F-35’s internal weapons bay. However, the new image shows a J-20 with a PL-15 airborne missile being carried from the outside.
Like the J-20, stealth aircraft uses weapons bays to hide weapons within the fuselage, reducing radar cross-section areas and improving aerodynamics.
The aircraft (called beast mode) armed with external long-range air-inter-air missiles at a hard point under the wings certainly have firepower. However, you lose a lot of stealth characters.
As previously explained by Indian Air Force veterans and military analyst Air Marshal Anil Chopra (RETD), the stealth platform’s ability to carry more internally is as “the person who controls aerospace and controls the planet.” It is an essential necessity for the modern Air Force.
In contrast, the J-20’s stealth technology allows you to attract enemy targets, let detection escape, enter contested airspace and establish air superiority. However, stealth comes at the expense of limited weaponry ability.
Appearing in Full Beast Mode, the J-20 is a move consistent with China’s overall strategy to increase the J-20’s combat power amid the looming threat of war in the region. Typically, the Beast mode allows the J-20 to carry 3-4 times longer-range missiles compared to stealth mode.
Additionally, the PLAAF can strategically operate the combination of a Beast-Mode J-20 and a typical stealth J-20 aircraft in combat. For example, Beast Mode J-20 could be followed when the Stealth J-20 leads the puck and enters hostile airspace, or when facing off against the enemy in an air battle.
China doesn’t just fly stealth fighters in Beast Mode. US Air Force (USAF) 5th generation fighter jet – F-35 Lighting II appeared to carry weapons of all ranges and larger payloads to external hardpoints to expand their attack capabilities against the enemy .
However, the J-20 has a larger payload capacity than the F-35. American defense expert Chris Osborne previously wrote: Internal and external weapons compared to the Beast mode F-35, which can be moved with 18,000 pound weapons. ”
That said, increasing tensions in at least two important hot spots in the Indo-Pacific, the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, has increased the possibility of a US-China conflict. Therefore, both sides are preparing for potential battles and increasing firepower.
China’s long-range AAM fleet is expanding
External use of the PL-15 AAM is important as it was assumed that the long-range PL-16 and PL-17 would be transported externally to the aircraft due to its large size.
China’s PL-15 missiles are often compared to the American AIM-120 Amraam.
The PL-15 is an active radar-guided long-range AAM using a dual-pulse solid propellant rocket and equipped with AESA radar. The missile is known for combining speed with maneuverability and is said to have an operating range of 200-300 km. In addition to the J-20, missiles are cleared for use in the J-10C, J-15, J-16, J-11b, and JF-17 block III.
The USAF previously acknowledged that the decision to launch the AIM-260 program is intended to develop new air-to-air missiles in range than the current standard AIM-120 AMRAAM. 15.
In addition to that, several previous reports have shown that the PLA is developing a very long-range missile called the PL-17. 400 km.
This is more than twice the maximum range of the AIM-120D, the US military’s current longest-range air-to-air weapon. It aims to employ larger targets such as Flyrefuller Aircraft (FRA) and AEW&C Aircraft.
Additionally, PLAAF is also working on the PL-21 long-range missile, comparable to the American AIM-260 JATM and the Russian R-37M. It is also estimated to range from 300 to 400 km.
Anil Chopra (RETD), a former veteran aviation officer of the Indian Air Force, wrote in a previous Eurasian’s Times article: China’s military doctrine emphasizes the use of the air force for maritime defense, particularly in nearby areas such as the South China Sea. While falling behind the fighter planes, they are moving forward with AAMS. ”
However, at this stage it is difficult to determine whether a Beast mode J-20 configuration works within PLAAF or whether it is still a work in progress.
