J-20 5th Gen Fighter Thread VIII

[Iron Man]

Why are the PL-15s positioned so far forward of the wings instead of more underneath

 

[siegecrossbow]

Why are the PL-15s positioned so far forward of the wings instead of more underneath

I’d guess a compromise based on center of mass.

 

[Wrought]

(1)you often don't have a choice. It's a fighter, not a statuette in the end.
(2)j-16 is yet to show 16 missile capability. That's quite a lot.
(3)Normal LACMs aren't cheap themselves. Damage is often more expensive still.

I would hope and prefer they use rockets for that purpose, like USAF is doing. You can carry many more of them and each shot is much cheaper.

Proximity-fuzed APKWS IIs would seem equally well suited for employment in the air-to-air role. As noted, the Air Force announced in 2019 that it had conducted what it described as a proof-of-concept test of the laser-guided rockets against aerial targets, primarily as a potential lower-cost option for knocking down subsonic cruise missiles.

APKWS IIs are usable against drones, as well as subsonic cruise missiles, in the first place because those are relatively steady, non-reactionary, low-performance targets. The rockets are not dogfighting weapons.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

 

[wuguanhui]

I would hope and prefer they use rockets for that purpose, like USAF is doing. You can carry many more of them and each shot is much cheaper.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Dumb question, does the PLAAF still have that bromantic love for unguided rocket pods? Or have they switched to something like the APKWS?

 

[plawolf]

Dumb question, does the PLAAF still have that bromantic love for unguided rocket pods? Or have they switched to something like the APKWS?

J36 can’t be declared combat ready until it has passed the mandatory rocket pod trials.

 

[plawolf]

Might be better to leave that to J-16. Also, how cheap are PL-15s if they can be used as anti-cruise missile fodder…

If the WS15 equipped J20 can supercruise with its beast-mode load-out, then that brings capabilities and options to the table the J16 cannot touch. It’s worth sacrificing some stealth for that, and it also speaks to the volumes of J20s in service that the PLAAF is starting to explore secondary and maybe even tertiary use cases for them.

 

[Moonscape]

If the WS15 equipped J20 can supercruise with its beast-mode load-out, then that brings capabilities and options to the table the J16 cannot touch. It’s worth sacrificing some stealth for that, and it also speaks to the volumes of J20s in service that the PLAAF is starting to explore secondary and maybe even tertiary use cases for them.

I'll laugh if the PLA ends up with many J-20s that they use them for ground attack.

 

[another505]

Dumb question, does the PLAAF still have that bromantic love for unguided rocket pods? Or have they switched to something like the APKWS?

What is with PLAAF love for unguided rockets? Is it because it is easy to wow domestic audience for its cheap cheap cost?

 

[Moonscape]

What is with PLAAF love for unguided rockets? Is it because it is easy to wow domestic audience for its cheap cheap cost?

Civilizational tradition?



This is from AD 1040 by the way. You could argue that wing mounted rocket pods are a direct descendant.

 

[leibowitz]

What is with PLAAF love for unguided rockets? Is it because it is easy to wow domestic audience for its cheap cheap cost?

1970s and 1980s CAS doctrine influencing the prior decade of generals?