Chinese J-11BS Jets Sport New Mystery Missile That Could be Armed on J-16Ds

A video posted by China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) recently showed J-11BS fighter jets armed with a new type of missile, expected to be armed on J-16D jets in the future.

The mystery missile could be an advanced anti-radiation missile such as the U.S.-made AGM-88G; or, a long-range air-to-air missile capable of bringing down targets high-value targets like early warning aircraft and aerial tankers from afar, wrote Weihutang, a military program affiliated with China Central Television. The report was reposted by the PLA Eastern Theater Command on Sina Weibo on Tuesday.

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Ordnance Industry Science Technology predicted that it could be an improved version of the CM-102, a Chinese made-for-export anti-radiation missile. It may use the double-pulse solid rocket motor technology used on the PL-15 that may give it a much longer range. So a warplane equipped with the new weapon will be able to destroy hostile advanced air defense missiles including SM-6s and S-400s, deployed far away. If it is indeed an anti-radiation missile, it would be a perfect match for China's new electronic warfare fighter jet, rumored to be called the J-16D and derived from the J-16 fighter jet. This jet’s capabilities including air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, a range of electronic warfare pods, and large payload capacity being it on par with the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G.

Wang Ya'nan, a military aviation expert and chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Wednesday: “Anti-radiation missiles could play a significant role in destroying an enemy's valuable early warning aircraft, which emit heavy radiation. Since early warning aircraft usually operate far from combat hot zones, possibly 300km away, a new anti-radiation missile would need to have a very long range.”