In a video reportedly captured near Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (see below), a J-35 can be seen flying alongside a J-15T armed with what appears to be YJ-15 supersonic anti-ship missiles.
Now, before anyone gets too excited, both aircraft are built in Shenyang, so their appearance together could simply be a coincidence. That said, it's hard not to look at the pairing and imagine the kind of maritime strike package the PLAN might have in mind.
We've already seen plenty of photos of PLAN Air Force and naval aviation assets, and there are several posts on this blog covering both aircraft individually. What's interesting here is the possibility of how they might work together. The stealthy J-35 could act as the forward sensor and penetration platform, while the J-15T plays the role of missile truck, hauling a sizable anti-ship loadout. It's a familiar concept that many air forces are pursuing: stealth aircraft find and track targets, while larger aircraft carry the Big Missile
In the context of anti-access/area denial (A2/AD), that's a particularly interesting combination. If reports regarding the YJ-15's range are even close to accurate, the missile would allow PLAN aviation to reach well beyond China's coastline and deep into the First Island Chain. As the old saying goes, it gives them the ability to "reach out and touch someone."
This post is less about hardware specifications and more about what the imagery suggests operationally. Still, the South China Morning Post summarized the reported characteristics of the YJ-15 as follows:
Reported Specifications (link)
- Speed: Mach 3 to Mach 5+
- Range: Estimated between 500 km and 1,000+ km, depending on flight profile and source
- Propulsion: Air-breathing ramjet with a distinctive four-inlet configuration
- Dimensions: Approximately 6.5 meters long and 0.5 meters in diameter
- Weight: Around 1,500 kg
- Warhead: Approximately 200 kg
Whether this particular flight was a planned demonstration or simply a convenient photo opportunity, again, it offers another glimpse of what a future carrier-based maritime strike package could look like: a stealthy J-35 scouting ahead while a missile-laden J-15T brings the punch. It should not be too much of a surprise by those who are following the PLAN
For naval planners on the other side of the First Island Chain, that's probably the more interesting takeaway.
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Is That a PL‑17 on a J‑16? Yes — and the Real Story Isn’t the Missile.
Much has been written, or, more accurately, speculated about the PLAAF’s PL‑17 extreme‑long‑range air‑to‑air missile. People argue about its range, its speed, its seeker, its datalink, its guidance logic, its cosmic aura, whatever. One thing we can actually confirm is simple: it’s huge. The missile is roughly six meters long, and every photo we’ve seen makes it look like someone zip‑tied a telephone pole under a J‑16.
But the interesting part of these zoomed‑in photos isn’t “wow, the PL‑17 mounts on a J‑16.” It’s the strike package around it. Modern air combat isn’t a single fighter launching a single missile in a single heroic duel. It’s an entire kill chain: fighters, bombers, EW platforms, AEW&C, tankers, escorts, and standoff shooters all operating as one. That’s how a South Asia air force shut down an entire air‑based “anti‑terror” operation. One can easily find a recent example is floating around online. No need to repeat it here.
This is the same pattern we saw in the PLAAF’s deployment to Egypt for Eagles of Civilization 2026, see blog post belwo: a full‑spectrum package of heavy fighters, tankers, AEW&C, EW aircraft, transports, and helicopters. Not a single aircraft type, not a single mission profile. In another word, a complete ecosystem.
So when there's a PL‑17 hanging under a J‑16, there's a bigger story at play here.
Look at the formation around it: heavy bombers, lightweight escorts, EW support, airborne early warning, tankers, and long‑range shooters all stitched together.
Meanwhile, there are still people out there obsessing over one fighter’s engine production rate or bragging about importing a warbird from a wine‑producing country. The PLAAF is not one of them. Their focus is the system, not the celebrity aircraft. And the PL‑17 on a J‑16 is just one tile in that mosaic.
Again, thats just me.
Sunday, August 09, 2026
Official acknowledgment of the day: JL-1 ALBM on the H-6N
So, we finally have it: official acknowledgment that the JL-1
air-launched ballistic missile is operational enough to be shown mounted
on an H-6N. This is the first time Beijing has essentially confirmed —
yes, it flies on the bomber built for it.
Cast your mind back to
the September parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender
in WWII. A whole buffet of new weapons rolled past the cameras, each
prompting the usual internet debates. Everyone's entitled to an opinion,
that's what the internet is for. I, for one, also have an opinion.
Shocked, right?
But this one is huge different, and I'm not talking about the size of the missile.
The JL-1 is a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile, and its appearance on the H-6N is the clearest signal yet that the PLA has closed the last gap in its nuclear triad. Land, sea, air — all three legs now have a credible standoff option.
CCTV is now reporting the JL-1 mounted on a H-6N Bomber. That's a big, not subtle. Even more interesting: the footage shows the single H-6N escorted by two J-20s — a visual hint at how the PLA imagines this system being protected en route to its launch point.
For context:
- Shanghai → Los Angeles: ~10,400 km
- J-20A ferry range: ~4,000–5,000 km
- JL-1 ALBM range: ~8,000 km with H-6N, the missile itself ~ 3500 km
Anyone can do the math. Anyone tracking Chinese strategic reach already has.
Now,
the usual caution: even with official confirmation, we still don't have
the full picture. Range figures (which could vary significantly under
real operational conditions), payload assumptions (plenty of those
floating around from people who write as if they work inside the CMC
building in Beijing), and operational doctrine all need more data. I'll
leave it to the professionals to sort out what the numbers actually mean
once they've finished poking at the footage and the phrasing.
But as far as public signals go? This is a big one.
Thursday, June 05, 2025
Photos Of The Day: A possible air refuelable PLAAF strike package
YY-20 + J-15 + J-20 + H-6N
Friday, January 03, 2025
Power Projection PR Of The Day: H-6N "President Xi's soft-power on display," Mid Air Refueling
PLA watchers have had a busy two months, with stealth fighters, new
assault ships, and a new Y-20-based KJ3000 AWAC. However, one aspect is
being overlooked: the "fully operational" status of the new H-6N
air-launched ballistic missile carrier. With mid air refueling, those
punch packing ALBM could reach-out-to-the-second-island-chain and touch
someone.
Fear not; judging by several literature on the H-6N, professionals are paying attention to this important advancement.
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