A Chinese J-10 fighter jet is seen on the tarmac in Ryazan, Russia, during the Aviadarts competition in August 2018. China may be preparing to integrate the J-10 with long-range missiles. (Shutterstock/Fasttailwind)

China’s J-10 Fighter Might Come with a New Missile Soon

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The attachment of the PL-17 missile to the radar-limited J-10 raises an obvious question: what use does a long-range missile have if the plane’s pilot cannot see at long range?

New images on Chinese social media show the J-10C fighter equipped with DF-4/3 external pylons, which have previously been associated with PL-17 ultra-long-range missile integration on J-16 fighters. The logical assumption, then, is that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) intends for the J-10 to soon field the PL-17 missile.

China remains tight-lipped about the future of the J-10, and has not confirmed any plans to upgrade it with the PL-17. However, doing so would be a major aid to its operations in the Indo-Pacific, as the PL-17 is among the longest-range air-to-air missiles in the world—meaning China may........

© The National Interest