Just PL16. >300km range and vectored thrust giving excellent maneuverability. Radar/Infrared dual seeker and can perform better than any other current missile regardless of WVR or BVR scenarios.
Chengdu next gen combat aircraft (?J-36)
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
Agree it's likely PL-16. Since PL-16 was never shown but we've known that it's long replaced PL-15 in the manufacturing side. It makes sense they are now comfortable disclosing PL-16 and showing it.
This all indicates successor missile is progressing well.
Ayi described it as "PL-16 is AIM-260, but AIM-260 is not PL-16."
Basically, the PL-16 has all the features promised by the AIM-260, and better; it's that simple and straightforward.
Based on the principle of equipping new-generation fighters with new-generation weapons, it will be the standard weapon for sixth-generation fighters, but it will still be compatible with previous-generation fighters, just like fourth-generation fighters carrying the PL-15.
If we turn back the clock 10 years, can't we say that the PL-15 will changed (the standard at the time) modern air combat?
Going off on a slight tangent here with the comparison between pl16 and aim120, can’t we say the exact same thing about the pl15 vs aim120c/d situation? pl15 is everything an aim120c/d is, but the reverse is not true (in this case due to dual-pulse motor, AESA seeker, larger size, newer & better design, software, etc) It’s probably not going to be a 100% repeat of what we’ve seen with current-gen AAMs, but I bet it rhymes.
No, you can't just deploy a prototype to war, they most likely don't even have all the subsystems and are not combat coded.
Did it?
Ultimately it isn't exactly some sort of revolution. Best(but also largest) weapon in its class, rather local¬ really available in most of the world.
If anything, Indians are the only unlucky people to run into it - and overall they got more or less same results as in 2019 (v AMRAAM).
There has been a lot of cope about how Indian pilots are terrible but even if NATO pilots were in their shoes the result would not be different, let’s leave it at that. Paradigm of modern aerial combat has been changed and we see it in the design philosophy of Chinese sixth gen. J-36 is the more aggressive implementation of the new philosophy whereas J-50 makes some compromises.
Right, the actual conclusion is that datalink changed the paradigm of aerial warfare and that any modern missile with proper datalink implementation and sufficient range could have done the same. The aircraft were shot down because they didn't know they were fired upon until it was too late to react, not that it was a pilot quality or aircraft issue. What it does show is that Chinese missile and datalink technology are of very high quality and work in real world situations. Good reinforcement that China's theory of future air combat is on the money and the right avenue to go down.
I mean, PL-15 is just best weapon in class. It isn't paradigm shift.
Paradigm shift is when PLAAF Mig-17s bully Taiwanese F-86s, which really can't contest against better and higher flying aircraft.
But then latter starts doing weird suicidal thing, - climbs behind mig - and launches sidewinder.
Furthermore, for now PL-15 is just a very local indopacom thing. India/Pakistan is ultimately a local conflict(nothing personal).
PL-15 is frontline weapon of one of main fault points of our world...but Asia is still peaceful for many decades.
If you look at J-50 in absense of the overall 'doctrine', we can argue that there are comprimises, but if you view it within the 'doctrine' or the overall 'systems' that China is implementing, it is very synergestic and is not really a compromise. I think J-50 seems like a combined evolution from what J-20, J-35, F-35 and F-22 are, it can do everything they can do, just 1 gen ahead of all of these systems. J-36 meanwhile is a different beast altogether.