China’s PL-17 long-range air-to-air missile (AAM) was spotted in its most clear photograph published to date amid a visible shift in aerial combat.
The PL-17 AAM is considered one of the most potent weapons in the Chinese arsenal, prompting the United States to develop the AIM-260 JATM (Joint Advanced Tactical Missile) and other long-range munitions.
There is currently no information on where the image was taken; however, it appears to have been photographed at a trade show or exposition. As seen in the photo below, a man (whose face has been deliberately obscured) stands in front of a board promoting the J-20 stealth fighter jet.
“As it seems, this is indeed the first legit image of the PLAAF’s ULR-AAM PL-17, even if it’s only a model. However, it would be most interesting to know when this image was taken and where,” said Chinese military aviation specialist Andreas Rupprecht on X.
Notably, this image is the latest in a string of leaks that have come out of China in the past few years, including the sixth-generation J-36 and J-50 prototypes whose photos were also similarly leaked on the Chinese internet in December 2024, or the YJ-19, YJ-15, YJ-17, and YJ-20 that were seen ahead of China’s Victory Day military parade in September 2025.
As it seems, this is indeed the first legit image of the PLAAF’s ULR-AAM PL-17, even if it's only a model.
However, it would be most interesting to know when this image was taken and where? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/CjPI4rO6sJ
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) January 27, 2026
It must be emphasised that this is not our first look at the mysterious PL-17 AAM, but certainly the closest and clearest one yet.
As previously reported by EurAsian Times, China revealed its longest-range air-to-air missile (AAM), the PL-17, on a J-16 fighter in December 2023. At the time, an image purportedly taken from official state-run military publicity material surfaced on social media, which was shared by PLA military bloggers.
The image showed a bottom view of four J-16s flying overhead, each carrying a massive load of AAMs. While the missile was verified as a PL-17, we could not determine whether the photograph was taken during a routine training sortie, a larger combined-arms or joint-force training drill, or during the missile’s testing.
The latest image of the PL-17 offers a peculiar insight into the missile’s size. It is considerably larger than the PL-15, which can be integrated with the J-10C, the J-20, or the J-35A stealth fighters.
“For the A2A (Air to Air) role, a large IWB (Internal Weapons Bay) means internal carriage of large weapons such as the PL-17 VLRAAM, or a greater number of traditionally sized BVRAAMs or emerging shorter length BVRAAMs. In the strike role, a large IWB means internal standoff weapons, or even a rotary launcher,” wrote PLA analyst Rick Joe in a long thread that analysed the J-36’s capabilities and design based on the photos that emerged in December 2024.
The image has surfaced months after China’s PL-15E long-range AAM was used by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to target Indian jets during the May 2025 clash. In fact, the PAF has repeatedly claimed that the long-range PL-15E missile fired from the J-10C aircraft downed multiple Indian Air Force (IAF) jets, a claim India rejects.
“If you have heard of the PL-15, this is its big brother, the PL-17. The PL-17, a 400km range, AESA Guided Air-to-Air Missile, MACH 5-6, is designed to shoot down high-value targets like Stealth fighters and AWACS. You can’t escape the claws of the dragon, PL-15 lil bro told you why,” a Hong-Kong-based account called ‘PLA Military Updates’ wrote on X.
Long-range air-to-air missiles (LRAAMs) enable fighter aircraft to engage and neutralise enemy aircraft and other high-value aerial assets from very far ranges. These missiles primarily rely on radar guidance, specifically active radar homing (ARH), in which the missile carries its own radar for final target detection and tracking, enabling a “fire-and-forget” capability and freeing the launching aircraft to engage other targets.
“The rise of LRAAMs is profoundly impacting air combat. Very long-range standoff engagements are becoming the norm. Pilots will increasingly rely on networked sensor information rather than visual cues for targeting. Robust and secure communication links are critical for data sharing and mid-course guidance updates. LRAAMs are optimised for neutralising assets like AWACS and tankers, crippling an adversary’s ability to coordinate operations,” as noted by Indian Air Force veteran and commentator, Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) in a previous EurAsian Times article.
The PL-17, for one, represents a massive leap for the PLA’s long-range attack capability. In fact, it is believed that the US is advancing work on the AIM-260—its longest-range air-to-air missile that will replace the AIM-120—in a bid to outrange Chinese long-range missiles.
In addition, the US Navy unveiled the AIM-174B, an air-launched variant of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), last year. Although this weapon’s range is classified, it should be significantly greater than that of the AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), likely doubling or even tripling its range against major targets.
A previous US Department of Defence (DoD) report stated that China already has the PL-17 VLRAAM and is working on a more advanced long-range missile, PL-XX or PL-21. China was “exploring dual-mode guidance capabilities, which use both active radar and infrared homing seekers that improve target-selection capabilities and make the missiles more resistant to countermeasures,” the report stated at the time.
The Big Brother: PL-17 AAM
The PL-17, as we know it, is an active, radar-guided, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by China for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
“The PL-17 (CH-AA-X-12) likely has a range of around 400 kilometres, using a dual-pulse solid rocket motor combined with a lofted trajectory to achieve the distance. The weapon is intended to engage what are sometimes referred to as high-value airborne assets, such as airborne early warning or tanker aircraft,” according to a previous blog in the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a US-based think tank.
The PL-17 has a dual-pulse rocket motor, a thrust-vectoring nozzle, and four comparatively modest tail fins that offer control. Experts believe the missile’s actual range can vary significantly depending on engagement settings and is reliant on a wide range of parameters. Its maximum speed is estimated to be at least Mach 4.
An active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker, which is reported to be extremely resistant to electronic countermeasures, is combined with a two-way datalink to provide guidance.
In addition to the primary seeker, reports have surfaced of a passive anti-radiation seeker. This could be particularly helpful against ground moving target indication (GMTI) radar and airborne early warning systems—a major target during combat.
With a no-escape zone that threatens far-off airborne platforms, it can attack targets at high altitudes and speeds without radar lock at maximum range. Terminal guidance is reportedly handled by the missile’s own sensors.
“Planes flying with BVRs usually also coordinate with airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft for guidance and possibly mid-course updates for the missile itself. But it is also not conceivable for friendly assets like AEW, other fighter aircraft, satellites, or even ground-based radars to not be involved at such long ranges,” as per a 2023 EurAsian Times analysis.
So, it is likely that targeting data from standoff assets, such as friendly airborne early warning aircraft, other aircraft near the target, ground- and surface-based radar, or even satellites, would be necessary to fully exploit the PL-17’s potential.
Writing for EurAsian Times, Indian Air Force veteran Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) earlier theorised: “A passive sensor may also be designed to detect radar emissions from aircraft such as the Boeing E-3D or E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C platforms from a considerable range. The active seeker would be used for terminal guidance. The PL-17 may also receive target-location updates from off-board sensors for much of the missile flight, making it difficult for the aircraft under attack to know that it is being targeted.”
Additionally, the PL-17 would arm the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fighter jets with an incredible tactical advantage, consistent with its anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) doctrine, as previously explained in detail by the EurAsian Times.
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