Chinese J-20 Fighter. Photo: Wikimedia
An unprecedented video released by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense shows the Chinese J-20 fifth-generation fighter jet launching a PL-10 missile and demonstrating its combat readiness.
+ Click here to watch the video
Observers note that the J-20 has been involved in several real ammunition launches over the years, and this was the first time it was captured on video.
The brief one-second clip shows the J-20 in stable flight, launching a missile that moves straight ahead. Subsequent images show two J-20s behind a Y-20 aerial refueling tanker. A brief angle shows the J-20 on the right side connected to the tube from its extendable and hidden sensor.
This is also the first time since the sensor hatch was captured. At the latest Zhuhai air show, media and visitors snapped photos of the J-20 taxiing, parked near the runway, and photographed the thin, rectangular hatch. However, the shape of the sensor remained a mystery. In the latest video, it appears to have a curved shape.
PL-10 Air-to-Air Missile
PL-10 Air-to-Air Missile. Photo: turbosquid
The PL-10 is an infrared-guided air-to-air missile, developed by the People’s Republic of China.
It was designed by Dr. Liang Xiaogeng at the Luoyang Electro-Optical Center, also known as Institute 612, and was renamed in 2002 as the Chinese Research Institute of Guided Air-to-Air Missiles.
Photo and video: Chinese Ministry of National Defense
