No point to carry PL-16 externally.
China Flanker Thread III (land based, exclude J-15)
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
But if it's better performance&coming off production lines anyways?
Why not? I imagine PL-16 is to be used as more of a PL-15 replacement than a miniaturized PL-17...
Well, as an example we saw Su-35 with the R-77M which is really the MRAAM for Su-57, so no reason why China can't do same for their 4th gens, especially if PL-16 is superior across the board to PL-15.
Less advanced adversaries can employ similar design philosophy in their design.
Well even if it's not carrying the PL-16s yet at some point it's gotta replace the PL15 as the main MRAAM for the PLAAF
By the time all PL-15 stocks are gone, the bulk of J-16s would probably be retired already
Hi,
or they can be export to customers willing to buy J10c & JFs in coming years
thank you
Yes, but probably not in large enough numbers to make an impact. The PLAAF currently has close to (if not surpassing) 1000 combat aircrafts that are able to use PL15, likely the stockpile is at least a few times that. Exporting a few dozen here and a hundred something there over the next decade or so wouldn't really affect the situation meaningfully imo.
That said, I'm not entirely sure that J16s would be retired when PL-15 are used up, PLAAF is a large organization and it's entirely possible that the J-16 being a rugged multirole platform will survive the next decade or two, even more if situation allows / requires it.
Hi,
I think you are right about in terms of export order, but as long as china manage to increase export of J10 & as I mentioned jf17 as some African countries can only buy jf17 can be wind up with pL15 orders afaik J16 im sure and as you have mentioned about like usa China still need a 4++ generation fighter & J16 will go for another couple of decades if not longer.
thank you