With the twin racks permitting it to hold eight air-to-air missiles externally, the J-20 would have the ability to be armed with 14 missiles.
A brand new clip emerged on Chinese language microblogging website Weibo on Sep. 28, 2025, displaying the PLA Air Pressure’s J-20 flying in what we had beforehand described as “beast mode”, with eight long-range AAMs (Air-to-Air Missiles) below the wings. The missiles may both be PL-15s or PL-17s, however can’t be recognized owing to the blurry picture. The primary such sighting was on Feb. 10, 2025, and on each events the clips and screengrabs had been shared by Chinese language army researcher Andreas Rupprecht.
The J-20 is the PLAAF’s frontline stealth fighter, with 300 now confirmed in service after the looks of the three hundredth J-20 to be constructed in the course of the latest Changchun air present. These can be joined by an unidentified variety of – presumably LRIP (Low-Price Preliminary Manufacturing) – newer J-20A and the twin-seat J-20S/J-20AS, with newer pictures, capturing the construct numbers and tail serials, giving us an thought of what number of of these have been produced.
Preliminary assessments have put the J-20 as presumably being meant as an ‘airborne sniper’, slipping via fighter screens utilizing its stealth and jamming to take out weak help plane like refueling tankers and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Management) planes. Additionally, utilizing superior sensing and networking capabilities, it may additionally act as an airborne command put up to reinforce situational consciousness and optimize higher tactical decision-making for different non-stealth Gen. 4.5 and Gen. 4 jets, in a task much like the F-35.
Unsure if this J-20 in “beast mode” carrying 8 PL-15 (?) AAMs on exterior hardpoints was already posted!?
(By way of @太湖军I名) pic.twitter.com/ZSiALreMJg
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) September 28, 2025
Nonetheless, flying with exterior payloads bares the tactical conditions by which a stealth plane might need to compromise its radar invisibility – both out of desperation on account of losses, or power multiplication to overwhelm the adversary. This relies upon how the battle progresses for both aspect in its opening levels.
What do each the clips present us?
Whereas there was some preliminary confusion over whether or not the most recent clip is similar because the one from February, a more in-depth examination reveals that they’re two totally different situations. The clip from February was shot in opposition to overcast skies. We additionally see the define of a panel within the open place on the ventral starboards-side, with an identical faint bulge seen on the port-side too. These might be open touchdown gear doorways, suggesting the J-20 is coming in for touchdown.
Within the newer clip, we see almost blue skies, peppered with clouds. Additionally, we don’t see any indication of open touchdown gear doorways, which on the J-20 are a two-part system. Nonetheless, this can’t be mentioned for sure, provided that the underside is forged in a darkish shadow, which is closely obscuring that area. The J-20 could be clearly made out to be heading in a barely inclined trajectory, that means it’s presumably climbing after taking off.
I feel we’ve seen this picture in a smaller model already in December (second picture), however now an ever clearer, bigger model and a video was leaked displaying a J-20 in “beast mode” carrying what seems to be 8x PL-15 (?) AAMs.
(Picture by way of @人畜无害遥感星 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/hlwI5MCiFO
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) February 10, 2025
Whereas we’re sure that the 2 clips have been taken in several moments in time, what we have no idea is that if they present the identical plane, or the identical area. Any variety of combos is feasible. Lastly, it does seem that each airframes have a yellow tinge, and never the darkish gray or darkish black schemes on the older J-20, the newer J-20A and the twin-seat J-20s/J-20AS. Whether it is certainly that paint scheme, then the situation might be the Chengdu Plane Company’s (CAC) facility.
Assuming that’s the case, it may additionally recommend the developer is testing the brand new twin rack ejector rails for the J-20, with such checks assessing the structural integrity, habits of the plane, the missile, the rack and the influence on its RCS (Radar Cross-Part).
The most recent Changchun air present additionally noticed the J-20 being placed on static show for the primary time, with never-before-seen shut up clips of its totally different sensor arrays across the cockpit and engine consumption part. Whereas their designation and use has not been formally recognized, these might be missile method warning sensors, radar warning receivers and directional infrared countermeasures.
If I’m not mistaken, then is that this the primary clear picture displaying a J-20 launching a PL-10 AAM.
(Picture by way of PLAAF / @人民空军 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/fyqamTwf8s
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) November 27, 2024
Weapons shops, ways and expertise and doctrine
In each the clips, the exterior shops include eight AAMs, of both the 300 km vary PL-15, or the longer-ranged PL-17. These are break up into two missiles for every dual-rack, with two racks on every wing, for a complete of eight missiles externally. 4 PL-15s that may be carried within the inside weapon bays and one short-range PL-10 WVR (Inside Visible Vary) AAM every on the 2 aspect inside bays.
Assuming the J-20 in each clips can be carrying inside shops, it brings the full AAM payload capability to 14 missiles (12 PL-15/PL-17 BVR AAMs, and two PL-10 short-range AAMs). As for ground-strike roles, the frequent consensus is that J-20, not like the F-35, just isn’t meant for these missions. The scale of its inside bays may not have the ability to accommodate such munitions.
We beforehand defined right here at The Aviationist how this AAM “beast mode” displays on the prevailing battlespace state of affairs from every progressive day of degraded airborne, and ground-based adversary anti-air functionality.
PLA commanders may determine whether or not to fly the J-20s in “beast” or stealth modes relying upon what tempo they wish to conduct their campaigns, and never a tempo dictated by the U.S.. Massive fleets of externally armed J-20s permit to quickly overwhelm an adversary and better goal engagements, however trades off stealth. Even on this case, nevertheless, not all J-20s can be in “beast” mode, with a big quantity nonetheless flying in stealth mode.
🙂↕️ pic.twitter.com/x6g30Me2u5
— Húrin (@Hurin92) September 18, 2025
These can be supported by giant numbers of manned and unmanned AEW&C, Gen. 4 and Gen. 4.5 jets and refueling tankers. The externally loaded J-20, and its twin-seat J-20S model, is simply an effort to make the jet into a whole stealth air-dominance fighter.
PLAAF×CCTV A2A映像Y-20A、YY-20A、J-20、J-162/2 pic.twitter.com/wTQoeVDbZW
— お砂糖wsnbn (@sugar_wsnbn) September 18, 2025
J-20 and PL-10 seen once more in beautiful element
On a distinct be aware, aesthetics with weapons methods arouse curiosity in each the layman and the battle nerd. On Sep. 18, the PLA’s official channel launched a shocking 8K two-and-a-half minute lengthy video of six Y-20s (three Y-20As, three YY-20A refuelers) supporting a formation of 4 J-20s and 4 J-16s.
🇨🇳 The Chinese language Air Pressure has revealed for the primary time a video in 8K decision: refueling of J-16 and J-20 fighters by the Y-20U tanker plane pic.twitter.com/Z87olVIR3f
— Usa Europe Asia (@usaeuropeasia) September 18, 2025
Whereas we will clearly see the J-20’s refueling probe prolonged, coloured orange from the within and connecting with the YY-20A refuelers, what’s attention-grabbing was that the stealth jet flew with each its aspect rails, carrying the PL-10, prolonged in a good portion of the clip.
