Chinese Missile Development News

America Is Falling Behind in the Hypersonic Arms Race. China’s Fearsome New Missile Is Proof.​

This long-distance missile has the range to reach U.S. shores. Should we be worried?
BY ZITA BALLINGER FLETCHER
PUBLISHED: MAR 20, 2026

  • China recently unveiled a new hypersonic missile, the CJ-1000.
  • The missile can reportedly travel over 3,500 miles—which is far enough to reach American shores.
  • But not all hope is lost; the United States has promising arms developments on the horizon that might put it back in the hypersonics race.
During a lavish military parade held in Beijing on September 3, 2025, China displayed an array of weapons currently in the possession of its People’s Liberation Army—among them a formidable hypersonic missile called the Changjian-1000, or CJ-1000. Some speculate that U.S. weapons development may have sparked the unveiling.

Part of a vast arsenal of missiles wielded by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, or PLARF, CJ-1000 is powered by a scramjet engine, which can allegedly propel the weapon with supersonic combustion to reach speeds of over Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. Designed by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) to fire at targets across continents, CJ-1000 is reported to be the first Chinese hypersonic missile to use a scramjet engine and is said to have a maximum range of 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles). For context, the distance from the coastal city of Shanghai, China, to Adak, Alaska, is roughly 3,383 miles—well within the reported maximum range of CJ-1000.

The South China Morning Postdeclared that China and Russia now possess the “only operational land-based scramjet-powered hypersonic missiles,” and has claimed that the CJ-1000 spells a strategic loss for the United States in the ongoing hypersonic weapons arms race. But is that really true?

The U.S. has indeed struggled to produce a working hypersonic weapon throughout the course of many years—though not for a lack of trying or spending. The Congressional Budget Office disclosed in a 2023report that the Defense Department had spent over $8 billion on hypersonic weapons programs since 2019. Despite the eye-watering expenditure, progress languished in bureaucracy and testing. Meanwhile, the report states, “potential adversaries such as China and Russia have worked to diminish the United States’ military advantage by developing advanced weapons with long ranges that could keep U.S. forces from operating in large areas—a strategy known as anti-access and area denial.”

Complicating matters further, the U.S. has traditionally refrained from equipping hypersonic weapons with nuclear warheads in an effort to avoid potential escalations with Russia and China. Despite this restraint, both Russia and China continue to equip their respective hypersonic missiles with nuclear warheads, which are designed to decimate anything in their strike zone.

Over the past decade, hypersonic programs at varying stages have been in the works across U.S. military branches, including the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. These weapons programs include the Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike, and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW. The LRHW was formally named the Dark Eagle in 2025.

This new attempt, the Dark Eagle, is a formidable counterbalance to China’s CJ-1000. Although it boasts a shorter maximum range of 1,725 miles, it moves at a comparable speed of over Mach 5, or over five times the speed of sound. It has also proven its reliability in rigorous tests—while quality assurance is something the PLARF struggles with. A 2024 U.S. Defense Departmentreport to Congress noted that corruption among officials overseeing China’s missile programs had profoundly impacted the quality of the weapons and has led to firings within China’s military elite. U.S. intelligence recently indicated that Chinese missiles had been found filled with water instead of fuel, and hundreds of missiles lacked essential components due to corruption, leading to a wholesale defense shakeup, according to a Bloombergreport.

The Dark Eagle first spread its wings in June 2024 during a U.S. Navy-ledexercise. Managed by an Army unit, soldiers practiced drills to reload and prepare to fire it. More significantly, the U.S. brought the Dark Eagle to a new perch in Australia in August 2025. This historic moment marked the first time the U.S. ever deployed a long-range hypersonic weapon on international soil. The weapon was deployed to Australia, one of the United States’ closest allies, to help the country protect itself against Chinese aggression in the region, which Australia and other Pacific nations have repeatedly flagged.

The rise of the Dark Eagle, primed and ready for battle, may have prompted China to wheel out its CJ-1000 for public display as a veiled threat. The U.S. military took things a step further this past December, when itactivated a special unit tasked with wielding the Dark Eagle in support of allies in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. made the move after China rammed a Philippine vessel and fired flares to threaten Australian aircraft and vessels. The Dark Eagle will reportedly be ready for tactical use this year and waiting in the wings in case it’s needed.

The Dark Eagle is not the only ace the U.S. has up its sleeve in the world of hypersonic weapons. The U.S. is also developing a new type of hypersonic missile that forces can shoot from a vast array of aircraft, ground launchers, and even from space: the HAVOC missile system, manufactured by Ursa Major. As a medium-range hypersonic, it does not exceed the range of China’s CJ-1000, but its sheer flexibility, power, and ability to strike from various locations make it a light, agile answer to a bulky missile threat.

As the U.S. takes its gloves off and bares new hypersonic fists to the world, China’s CJ-1000 may find itself to be a Goliath overmatched by numerous American Davids. The CJ-1000 offers range and power—but corruption and quality control issues plaguing the PLARF are China’s Achilles’ heel. While slower to get hypersonics off the ground, the U.S. now expects to bring quality, motivation, and new ideas into the fight.

During a lavish military parade held in Beijing on September 3, 2025, China displayed an array of weapons currently in the possession of its People’s Liberation Army—among them a formidable hypersonic missile called the Changjian-1000, or CJ-1000. Some speculate that U.S. weapons development may have sparked the unveiling.

Part of a vast arsenal of missiles wielded by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, or PLARF, CJ-1000 is powered by a scramjet engine, which can allegedly propel the weapon with supersonic combustion to reach speeds of over Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. Designed by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) to fire at targets across continents, CJ-1000 is reported to be the first Chinese hypersonic missile to use a scramjet engine and is said to have a maximum range of 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles). For context, the distance from the coastal city of Shanghai, China, to Adak, Alaska, is roughly 3,383 miles—well within the reported maximum range of CJ-1000.
The South China Morning Postdeclared that China and Russia now possess the “only operational land-based scramjet-powered hypersonic missiles,” and has claimed that the CJ-1000 spells a strategic loss for the United States in the ongoing hypersonic weapons arms race. But is that really true?

The U.S. has indeed struggled to produce a working hypersonic weapon throughout the course of many years—though not for a lack of trying or spending. The Congressional Budget Office disclosed in a 2023report that the Defense Department had spent over $8 billion on hypersonic weapons programs since 2019. Despite the eye-watering expenditure, progress languished in bureaucracy and testing. Meanwhile, the report states, “potential adversaries such as China and Russia have worked to diminish the United States’ military advantage by developing advanced weapons with long ranges that could keep U.S. forces from operating in large areas—a strategy known as anti-access and area denial.”

Complicating matters further, the U.S. has traditionally refrained from equipping hypersonic weapons with nuclear warheads in an effort to avoid potential escalations with Russia and China. Despite this restraint, both Russia and China continue to equip their respective hypersonic missiles with nuclear warheads, which are designed to decimate anything in their strike zone.

Over the past decade, hypersonic programs at varying stages have been in the works across U.S. military branches, including the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. These weapons programs include the Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike, and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW. The LRHW was formally named the Dark Eagle in 2025.

This new attempt, the Dark Eagle, is a formidable counterbalance to China’s CJ-1000. Although it boasts a shorter maximum range of 1,725 miles, it moves at a comparable speed of over Mach 5, or over five times the speed of sound. It has also proven its reliability in rigorous tests—while quality assurance is something the PLARF struggles with. A 2024 U.S. Defense Departmentreport to Congress noted that corruption among officials overseeing China’s missile programs had profoundly impacted the quality of the weapons and has led to firings within China’s military elite. U.S. intelligence recently indicated that Chinese missiles had been found filled with water instead of fuel, and hundreds of missiles lacked essential components due to corruption, leading to a wholesale defense shakeup, according to a Bloombergreport.

The Dark Eagle first spread its wings in June 2024 during a U.S. Navy-ledexercise. Managed by an Army unit, soldiers practiced drills to reload and prepare to fire it. More significantly, the U.S. brought the Dark Eagle to a new perch in Australia in August 2025. This historic moment marked the first time the U.S. ever deployed a long-range hypersonic weapon on international soil. The weapon was deployed to Australia, one of the United States’ closest allies, to help the country protect itself against Chinese aggression in the region, which Australia and other Pacific nations have repeatedly flagged.

The rise of the Dark Eagle, primed and ready for battle, may have prompted China to wheel out its CJ-1000 for public display as a veiled threat. The U.S. military took things a step further this past December, when itactivated a special unit tasked with wielding the Dark Eagle in support of allies in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. made the move after China rammed a Philippine vessel and fired flares to threaten Australian aircraft and vessels. The Dark Eagle will reportedly be ready for tactical use this year and waiting in the wings in case it’s needed.

The Dark Eagle is not the only ace the U.S. has up its sleeve in the world of hypersonic weapons. The U.S. is also developing a new type of hypersonic missile that forces can shoot from a vast array of aircraft, ground launchers, and even from space: the HAVOC missile system, manufactured by Ursa Major. As a medium-range hypersonic, it does not exceed the range of China’s CJ-1000, but its sheer flexibility, power, and ability to strike from various locations make it a light, agile answer to a bulky missile threat.

As the U.S. takes its gloves off and bares new hypersonic fists to the world, China’s CJ-1000 may find itself to be a Goliath overmatched by numerous American Davids. The CJ-1000 offers range and power—but corruption and quality control issues plaguing the PLARF are China’s Achilles’ heel. While slower to get hypersonics off the ground, the U.S. now expects to bring quality, motivation, and new ideas into the fight.

Ultimately, it’s too soon to declare whether the U.S. has either lost or won the race for hypersonic weapons. After all, the race has only just begun.

www.popularmechanics.com

America Is Falling Behind in the Hypersonic Arms Race. China’s Fearsome New Missile Is Proof.

This long-distance missile has the range to reach U.S. shores. Should we be worried?
www.popularmechanics.com www.popularmechanics.com
 
Beijingwalker said:

America Is Falling Behind in the Hypersonic Arms Race. China’s Fearsome New Missile Is Proof.​

This long-distance missile has the range to reach U.S. shores. Should we be worried?
BY ZITA BALLINGER FLETCHER
PUBLISHED: MAR 20, 2026

  • China recently unveiled a new hypersonic missile, the CJ-1000.
  • The missile can reportedly travel over 3,500 miles—which is far enough to reach American shores.
  • But not all hope is lost; the United States has promising arms developments on the horizon that might put it back in the hypersonics race.
During a lavish military parade held in Beijing on September 3, 2025, China displayed an array of weapons currently in the possession of its People’s Liberation Army—among them a formidable hypersonic missile called the Changjian-1000, or CJ-1000. Some speculate that U.S. weapons development may have sparked the unveiling.

Part of a vast arsenal of missiles wielded by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, or PLARF, CJ-1000 is powered by a scramjet engine, which can allegedly propel the weapon with supersonic combustion to reach speeds of over Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. Designed by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) to fire at targets across continents, CJ-1000 is reported to be the first Chinese hypersonic missile to use a scramjet engine and is said to have a maximum range of 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles). For context, the distance from the coastal city of Shanghai, China, to Adak, Alaska, is roughly 3,383 miles—well within the reported maximum range of CJ-1000.

The South China Morning Postdeclared that China and Russia now possess the “only operational land-based scramjet-powered hypersonic missiles,” and has claimed that the CJ-1000 spells a strategic loss for the United States in the ongoing hypersonic weapons arms race. But is that really true?

The U.S. has indeed struggled to produce a working hypersonic weapon throughout the course of many years—though not for a lack of trying or spending. The Congressional Budget Office disclosed in a 2023report that the Defense Department had spent over $8 billion on hypersonic weapons programs since 2019. Despite the eye-watering expenditure, progress languished in bureaucracy and testing. Meanwhile, the report states, “potential adversaries such as China and Russia have worked to diminish the United States’ military advantage by developing advanced weapons with long ranges that could keep U.S. forces from operating in large areas—a strategy known as anti-access and area denial.”

Complicating matters further, the U.S. has traditionally refrained from equipping hypersonic weapons with nuclear warheads in an effort to avoid potential escalations with Russia and China. Despite this restraint, both Russia and China continue to equip their respective hypersonic missiles with nuclear warheads, which are designed to decimate anything in their strike zone.

Over the past decade, hypersonic programs at varying stages have been in the works across U.S. military branches, including the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. These weapons programs include the Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike, and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW. The LRHW was formally named the Dark Eagle in 2025.

This new attempt, the Dark Eagle, is a formidable counterbalance to China’s CJ-1000. Although it boasts a shorter maximum range of 1,725 miles, it moves at a comparable speed of over Mach 5, or over five times the speed of sound. It has also proven its reliability in rigorous tests—while quality assurance is something the PLARF struggles with. A 2024 U.S. Defense Departmentreport to Congress noted that corruption among officials overseeing China’s missile programs had profoundly impacted the quality of the weapons and has led to firings within China’s military elite. U.S. intelligence recently indicated that Chinese missiles had been found filled with water instead of fuel, and hundreds of missiles lacked essential components due to corruption, leading to a wholesale defense shakeup, according to a Bloombergreport.

The Dark Eagle first spread its wings in June 2024 during a U.S. Navy-ledexercise. Managed by an Army unit, soldiers practiced drills to reload and prepare to fire it. More significantly, the U.S. brought the Dark Eagle to a new perch in Australia in August 2025. This historic moment marked the first time the U.S. ever deployed a long-range hypersonic weapon on international soil. The weapon was deployed to Australia, one of the United States’ closest allies, to help the country protect itself against Chinese aggression in the region, which Australia and other Pacific nations have repeatedly flagged.

The rise of the Dark Eagle, primed and ready for battle, may have prompted China to wheel out its CJ-1000 for public display as a veiled threat. The U.S. military took things a step further this past December, when itactivated a special unit tasked with wielding the Dark Eagle in support of allies in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. made the move after China rammed a Philippine vessel and fired flares to threaten Australian aircraft and vessels. The Dark Eagle will reportedly be ready for tactical use this year and waiting in the wings in case it’s needed.

The Dark Eagle is not the only ace the U.S. has up its sleeve in the world of hypersonic weapons. The U.S. is also developing a new type of hypersonic missile that forces can shoot from a vast array of aircraft, ground launchers, and even from space: the HAVOC missile system, manufactured by Ursa Major. As a medium-range hypersonic, it does not exceed the range of China’s CJ-1000, but its sheer flexibility, power, and ability to strike from various locations make it a light, agile answer to a bulky missile threat.

As the U.S. takes its gloves off and bares new hypersonic fists to the world, China’s CJ-1000 may find itself to be a Goliath overmatched by numerous American Davids. The CJ-1000 offers range and power—but corruption and quality control issues plaguing the PLARF are China’s Achilles’ heel. While slower to get hypersonics off the ground, the U.S. now expects to bring quality, motivation, and new ideas into the fight.

During a lavish military parade held in Beijing on September 3, 2025, China displayed an array of weapons currently in the possession of its People’s Liberation Army—among them a formidable hypersonic missile called the Changjian-1000, or CJ-1000. Some speculate that U.S. weapons development may have sparked the unveiling.

Part of a vast arsenal of missiles wielded by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, or PLARF, CJ-1000 is powered by a scramjet engine, which can allegedly propel the weapon with supersonic combustion to reach speeds of over Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. Designed by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) to fire at targets across continents, CJ-1000 is reported to be the first Chinese hypersonic missile to use a scramjet engine and is said to have a maximum range of 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles). For context, the distance from the coastal city of Shanghai, China, to Adak, Alaska, is roughly 3,383 miles—well within the reported maximum range of CJ-1000.
The South China Morning Postdeclared that China and Russia now possess the “only operational land-based scramjet-powered hypersonic missiles,” and has claimed that the CJ-1000 spells a strategic loss for the United States in the ongoing hypersonic weapons arms race. But is that really true?

The U.S. has indeed struggled to produce a working hypersonic weapon throughout the course of many years—though not for a lack of trying or spending. The Congressional Budget Office disclosed in a 2023report that the Defense Department had spent over $8 billion on hypersonic weapons programs since 2019. Despite the eye-watering expenditure, progress languished in bureaucracy and testing. Meanwhile, the report states, “potential adversaries such as China and Russia have worked to diminish the United States’ military advantage by developing advanced weapons with long ranges that could keep U.S. forces from operating in large areas—a strategy known as anti-access and area denial.”

Complicating matters further, the U.S. has traditionally refrained from equipping hypersonic weapons with nuclear warheads in an effort to avoid potential escalations with Russia and China. Despite this restraint, both Russia and China continue to equip their respective hypersonic missiles with nuclear warheads, which are designed to decimate anything in their strike zone.

Over the past decade, hypersonic programs at varying stages have been in the works across U.S. military branches, including the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. These weapons programs include the Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike, and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW. The LRHW was formally named the Dark Eagle in 2025.

This new attempt, the Dark Eagle, is a formidable counterbalance to China’s CJ-1000. Although it boasts a shorter maximum range of 1,725 miles, it moves at a comparable speed of over Mach 5, or over five times the speed of sound. It has also proven its reliability in rigorous tests—while quality assurance is something the PLARF struggles with. A 2024 U.S. Defense Departmentreport to Congress noted that corruption among officials overseeing China’s missile programs had profoundly impacted the quality of the weapons and has led to firings within China’s military elite. U.S. intelligence recently indicated that Chinese missiles had been found filled with water instead of fuel, and hundreds of missiles lacked essential components due to corruption, leading to a wholesale defense shakeup, according to a Bloombergreport.

The Dark Eagle first spread its wings in June 2024 during a U.S. Navy-ledexercise. Managed by an Army unit, soldiers practiced drills to reload and prepare to fire it. More significantly, the U.S. brought the Dark Eagle to a new perch in Australia in August 2025. This historic moment marked the first time the U.S. ever deployed a long-range hypersonic weapon on international soil. The weapon was deployed to Australia, one of the United States’ closest allies, to help the country protect itself against Chinese aggression in the region, which Australia and other Pacific nations have repeatedly flagged.

The rise of the Dark Eagle, primed and ready for battle, may have prompted China to wheel out its CJ-1000 for public display as a veiled threat. The U.S. military took things a step further this past December, when itactivated a special unit tasked with wielding the Dark Eagle in support of allies in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. made the move after China rammed a Philippine vessel and fired flares to threaten Australian aircraft and vessels. The Dark Eagle will reportedly be ready for tactical use this year and waiting in the wings in case it’s needed.

The Dark Eagle is not the only ace the U.S. has up its sleeve in the world of hypersonic weapons. The U.S. is also developing a new type of hypersonic missile that forces can shoot from a vast array of aircraft, ground launchers, and even from space: the HAVOC missile system, manufactured by Ursa Major. As a medium-range hypersonic, it does not exceed the range of China’s CJ-1000, but its sheer flexibility, power, and ability to strike from various locations make it a light, agile answer to a bulky missile threat.

As the U.S. takes its gloves off and bares new hypersonic fists to the world, China’s CJ-1000 may find itself to be a Goliath overmatched by numerous American Davids. The CJ-1000 offers range and power—but corruption and quality control issues plaguing the PLARF are China’s Achilles’ heel. While slower to get hypersonics off the ground, the U.S. now expects to bring quality, motivation, and new ideas into the fight.

Ultimately, it’s too soon to declare whether the U.S. has either lost or won the race for hypersonic weapons. After all, the race has only just begun.

www.popularmechanics.com

America Is Falling Behind in the Hypersonic Arms Race. China’s Fearsome New Missile Is Proof.

This long-distance missile has the range to reach U.S. shores. Should we be worried?
www.popularmechanics.com www.popularmechanics.com
Click to expand...
Lol, US missiles in development are quality and motivation while deployed Chinese
CJ 1000 missiles are corrupted riddled with quality issues. What sour grapes. Haven't heard the U.S. military—specifically the Air Force—paid over $10,000 each for toilet seat covers on C-5 cargo planes ?
 
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PLARF does > 300 test firings per year for training. Not the kind of expenditure you would do if missile stock is ~2000
 
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The Air Force’s China War Fear: F-22 And F-35 Missiles Are Now Outranged
Kris Osborn
Published April 12 2026

Last year a Pakistani fighter fired a Chinese-built missile at an Indian Rafale from 200 kilometers away. America’s best air-to-air missile, the one carried by the F-22 and F-35, maxes out at 185.

The F-22 and F-35 Have a Range Problem ​

As recently as May of last year, Indian Air Force pilots discovered that the Chinese-built PL-15 air-to-air missile was far more capable than anticipated when a Pakistani Air Force Chengdu J-10C fired at an IAF Rafale at a range of 200km.

The PL-15, a Chinese-engineered new-generation air-to-air weapon, is built to attack air targets up to 300km away, and its export variant, fired by Pakistan, is known to travel and achieve hits from as far as 200km.

This range is quite significant, particularly given that the U.S. Air Force’s AIM-120D air-to-air missile is cited as having a range of 160 to 185 km in a write-up on Globalsecurity.org. The exact range of the AIM-120D is not available, for security reasons, yet the unclassified range extends to 185km.

The AIM-120D AMRAAM equips the F-35 and F-22, and a fleet-wide software upgrade in recent years further “hardened” the missile against interference, improved its guidance technology, and extended its range.

However, what happens if an AIM-120D-armed F-22 encounters a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) PL-15 armed J-20?

Certainly, the outcome of an air combat encounter would depend on several critical variables, such as detection range, targeting, air maneuverability, and precision guidance, so an exact outcome could not be guaranteed.

There are, however, certain technological variables likely to inform the equation for range, speed, and targeting applications. The PL-15, for example, is engineered with longer-range, higher-resolution radar technology and, much like the U.S. Air Force AIM-120D, has anti-interference technology.

PL-15 dual-pulse motor​

Perhaps of greatest significance, the PL-15 optimizes propulsion power with what’s called a “double-pulse” solid rocket motor. Unlike a single-burn motor, which powers most air-to-air weapons, a dual-pulse motor can shut down and reignite on command.

This allows the propellant to be consumed in two distinct phases rather than all at once, thereby optimizing propulsion by improving power efficiency and range.

In specific technical terms, a dual-pulse motor can generate a high-thrust boost followed by a second, delayed thrust phase for maneuvering as the weapon closes in on a target.

The famous European “Meteor” missile, now integrated onto the F-35, also uses a dual-pulse motor and is described as a weapon that can “out-run” enemy fighter jets.

“The dual-pulse solid rocket engine is a kind of fuel charge divided into several sections with a flame-retardant heat insulation layer in the same combustion chamber. Each section of the charge has an independent ignition system. The control system determines the ignition time of each section of the charge to achieve the energy management mechanism is introduced to the working process of the engine to meet the technical requirements of the overall optimal trajectory of the rocket, and achieve the optimal allocation plan of the missile’s longest range, no escape zone, and terminal maneuverability,” a Globalsecurity.org essay states.

AIM-120D Upgrades​

The software upgrades to the AIM-120D perform a similar function by improving energy management along the missile’s flight path.

Many additional details relevant to the AIM-120D are unavailable, so a specific, fully accurate comparison between the AIM-120D and the PL-15 may not be possible.

The PL-15 is also said to operate with a two-way data link, which enables the weapon to adjust course “in-flight” to accommodate changing target information.

Similar to a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile, the much smaller PL-15 is networked and can redirect as needed, something of great tactical significance in any fast-moving, dynamic air-combat environment.

What’s less clear, however, is the possibility that the PL-15 can fire “off-boresight,” meaning turn its direction in flight to hit a target “behind” the aircraft; the U.S. AIM-9X does have this ability, as the missile can essentially fully “turn-around” to engage a target to the side or even behind the jet.

AIM-260​

If there is an actual range discrepancy between the PL-15 and AIM-120D, meaning the Chinese PL-15 could “hit” an F-22 at greater stand-off distances, it might explain why the Air Force and Navy appear to be fast-tracking a “new,” ultra-fast, long-range AIM-260 air-to-air missile.

Live-fire testing has been underway for many years, and the expectation is that the AIM-260 will be fired from an F/A-18 Super Hornet and an F-22. Given this, there is little reason to imagine the weapon would not also arm the F-35.

Very few details about the AIM-260 are known for understandable security reasons, yet the question of longer range is quite significant, given the known performance parameters of existing advanced fighter jets.

The F-35, for example, has shown it can see and destroy groups of 4th-generation jets from ranges where it itself is not detected, so an ability to fire a faster, more precise, and longer-range air-to-air missile would greatly enhance this advantage.

There are many areas where air-fired weapons can be enhanced, and both the Air Force and the Navy have extensive experience upgrading weapons. It would not be surprising if the AIM-260 could fire “off-boresight,” as the AIM-9X does.

Hardening Missiles​

Upgraded missiles such as these have been engineered for greater resilience in flight, meaning they have been hardened against enemy efforts to “jam” their targeting and guidance systems. One method of hardening or developing countermeasures against jamming is understood as frequency hopping.

A weapon’s RF signal can be programmed to switch to another frequency if the initial frequency is disrupted or jammed by enemy interference.

This, of course, increases the likelihood that the attacking missile will successfully continue through defenses to hit its intended target.

There are also new generations of seeker and sensing technologies enabling weapons to change course in flight and adapt as needed to changing target information. Many weapons are increasingly engineered with data links and built-in receptors that receive input and respond to new signals.

The SM-6, for example, can be fired from ships with what’s called a dual-mode seeker, meaning it can send its own forward “ping” in flight to adapt to moving targets and “track” a return signal.

The U.S. Air Force is advancing quickly with a collaborative, networked weapons program known as Golden Horde, an emerging technology in which bombs can exchange key data while in flight to respond to changing target dynamics and transmit time-sensitive details among weapons.

The exact arrival of the AIM-260 is likely not publicly known, yet it would make sense if the weapon were moving into advanced phases of testing, development, and procurement.

www.19fortyfive.com

The Air Force's China War Fear: F-22 and F-35 Missiles Are Now Outranged

A Pakistani J-10C fired a Chinese PL-15 missile at an Indian Rafale from 200km — farther than America's best air-to-air missile can reach. The PL-15 uses a dual-pulse motor that reignites in flight. The Air Force is fast-tracking the AIM-260 to close the gap. It may not be ready in time.
www.19fortyfive.com www.19fortyfive.com
 
Beijingwalker said:
The Air Force’s China War Fear: F-22 And F-35 Missiles Are Now Outranged
Kris Osborn
Published April 12 2026

Last year a Pakistani fighter fired a Chinese-built missile at an Indian Rafale from 200 kilometers away. America’s best air-to-air missile, the one carried by the F-22 and F-35, maxes out at 185.

The F-22 and F-35 Have a Range Problem ​

As recently as May of last year, Indian Air Force pilots discovered that the Chinese-built PL-15 air-to-air missile was far more capable than anticipated when a Pakistani Air Force Chengdu J-10C fired at an IAF Rafale at a range of 200km.

The PL-15, a Chinese-engineered new-generation air-to-air weapon, is built to attack air targets up to 300km away, and its export variant, fired by Pakistan, is known to travel and achieve hits from as far as 200km.

This range is quite significant, particularly given that the U.S. Air Force’s AIM-120D air-to-air missile is cited as having a range of 160 to 185 km in a write-up on Globalsecurity.org. The exact range of the AIM-120D is not available, for security reasons, yet the unclassified range extends to 185km.

The AIM-120D AMRAAM equips the F-35 and F-22, and a fleet-wide software upgrade in recent years further “hardened” the missile against interference, improved its guidance technology, and extended its range.

However, what happens if an AIM-120D-armed F-22 encounters a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) PL-15 armed J-20?

Certainly, the outcome of an air combat encounter would depend on several critical variables, such as detection range, targeting, air maneuverability, and precision guidance, so an exact outcome could not be guaranteed.

There are, however, certain technological variables likely to inform the equation for range, speed, and targeting applications. The PL-15, for example, is engineered with longer-range, higher-resolution radar technology and, much like the U.S. Air Force AIM-120D, has anti-interference technology.

PL-15 dual-pulse motor​

Perhaps of greatest significance, the PL-15 optimizes propulsion power with what’s called a “double-pulse” solid rocket motor. Unlike a single-burn motor, which powers most air-to-air weapons, a dual-pulse motor can shut down and reignite on command.

This allows the propellant to be consumed in two distinct phases rather than all at once, thereby optimizing propulsion by improving power efficiency and range.

In specific technical terms, a dual-pulse motor can generate a high-thrust boost followed by a second, delayed thrust phase for maneuvering as the weapon closes in on a target.

The famous European “Meteor” missile, now integrated onto the F-35, also uses a dual-pulse motor and is described as a weapon that can “out-run” enemy fighter jets.

“The dual-pulse solid rocket engine is a kind of fuel charge divided into several sections with a flame-retardant heat insulation layer in the same combustion chamber. Each section of the charge has an independent ignition system. The control system determines the ignition time of each section of the charge to achieve the energy management mechanism is introduced to the working process of the engine to meet the technical requirements of the overall optimal trajectory of the rocket, and achieve the optimal allocation plan of the missile’s longest range, no escape zone, and terminal maneuverability,” a Globalsecurity.org essay states.

AIM-120D Upgrades​

The software upgrades to the AIM-120D perform a similar function by improving energy management along the missile’s flight path.

Many additional details relevant to the AIM-120D are unavailable, so a specific, fully accurate comparison between the AIM-120D and the PL-15 may not be possible.

The PL-15 is also said to operate with a two-way data link, which enables the weapon to adjust course “in-flight” to accommodate changing target information.

Similar to a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile, the much smaller PL-15 is networked and can redirect as needed, something of great tactical significance in any fast-moving, dynamic air-combat environment.

What’s less clear, however, is the possibility that the PL-15 can fire “off-boresight,” meaning turn its direction in flight to hit a target “behind” the aircraft; the U.S. AIM-9X does have this ability, as the missile can essentially fully “turn-around” to engage a target to the side or even behind the jet.

AIM-260​

If there is an actual range discrepancy between the PL-15 and AIM-120D, meaning the Chinese PL-15 could “hit” an F-22 at greater stand-off distances, it might explain why the Air Force and Navy appear to be fast-tracking a “new,” ultra-fast, long-range AIM-260 air-to-air missile.

Live-fire testing has been underway for many years, and the expectation is that the AIM-260 will be fired from an F/A-18 Super Hornet and an F-22. Given this, there is little reason to imagine the weapon would not also arm the F-35.

Very few details about the AIM-260 are known for understandable security reasons, yet the question of longer range is quite significant, given the known performance parameters of existing advanced fighter jets.

The F-35, for example, has shown it can see and destroy groups of 4th-generation jets from ranges where it itself is not detected, so an ability to fire a faster, more precise, and longer-range air-to-air missile would greatly enhance this advantage.

There are many areas where air-fired weapons can be enhanced, and both the Air Force and the Navy have extensive experience upgrading weapons. It would not be surprising if the AIM-260 could fire “off-boresight,” as the AIM-9X does.

Hardening Missiles​

Upgraded missiles such as these have been engineered for greater resilience in flight, meaning they have been hardened against enemy efforts to “jam” their targeting and guidance systems. One method of hardening or developing countermeasures against jamming is understood as frequency hopping.

A weapon’s RF signal can be programmed to switch to another frequency if the initial frequency is disrupted or jammed by enemy interference.

This, of course, increases the likelihood that the attacking missile will successfully continue through defenses to hit its intended target.

There are also new generations of seeker and sensing technologies enabling weapons to change course in flight and adapt as needed to changing target information. Many weapons are increasingly engineered with data links and built-in receptors that receive input and respond to new signals.

The SM-6, for example, can be fired from ships with what’s called a dual-mode seeker, meaning it can send its own forward “ping” in flight to adapt to moving targets and “track” a return signal.

The U.S. Air Force is advancing quickly with a collaborative, networked weapons program known as Golden Horde, an emerging technology in which bombs can exchange key data while in flight to respond to changing target dynamics and transmit time-sensitive details among weapons.

The exact arrival of the AIM-260 is likely not publicly known, yet it would make sense if the weapon were moving into advanced phases of testing, development, and procurement.

www.19fortyfive.com

The Air Force's China War Fear: F-22 and F-35 Missiles Are Now Outranged

A Pakistani J-10C fired a Chinese PL-15 missile at an Indian Rafale from 200km — farther than America's best air-to-air missile can reach. The PL-15 uses a dual-pulse motor that reignites in flight. The Air Force is fast-tracking the AIM-260 to close the gap. It may not be ready in time.
www.19fortyfive.com www.19fortyfive.com
Click to expand...
China has the leading edge tech in missiles esp AA and hypersonic missiles and radars. China is very strong in these two categories.
 

US Air Force confronts range disadvantage for F-22 & F-35 missiles against China's PL-15​

April 13 2026

The United States Air Force is confronting a widening missile range disadvantage against China, particularly in potential Indo-Pacific conflict scenarios. At the center of the concern are the AIM-120 missiles carried by the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, which are now believed to be outranged by China’s PL-15 air-to-air missile, as noted by the 19FortyFive. This issue has come into sharper focus in 2026 as analysts assess the evolving dynamics of aerial combat. The imbalance matters because beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagements increasingly define modern air superiority.

Recent combat observations and intelligence assessments suggest that Chinese missile technology, especially dual-pulse propulsion, has matured rapidly. The PL-15, developed to target high-value assets and stealth fighters, represents a significant leap in range and engagement flexibility. Meanwhile, the United States and its allies are racing to close the gap with upgrades to existing systems and entirely new missile programs.

The Core Of The Emerging Disadvantage And Lessons From Combat​

The central concern for the US Air Force lies in the effective range of its primary air-to-air missile, the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). While the latest AIM-120D variant introduced improvements in guidance, networking, and range, it is increasingly viewed as insufficient against newer threats. Reports indicate that China’s PL-15 significantly exceeds the AMRAAM’s reach, allowing Chinese fighters to engage first. In modern aerial warfare, the ability to fire first often determines survival.

For stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35, this range gap undermines a key advantage: the ability to detect and engage enemies before being detected themselves. If adversary missiles outrange US weapons, American pilots may be forced into defensive postures earlier in an engagement. This shifts the balance from proactive to reactive tactics. The implications are particularly serious in contested environments such as the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait.

One of the most revealing insights into the PL-15’s capabilities came from an India-Pakistan aerial confrontation last year. As noted by The Aviation Geek Club, during the engagement, Pakistan Air Force Chengdu J-10C deployed Chinese-made missiles against an Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale at a distance of 200km, including variants believed to be derived from or similar to the PL-15. This marked one of the first real-world indications of how Chinese missile technology performs in combat. IAF noted that these weapons demonstrated impressive reach and engagement flexibility, far more capable than expected.

The battle highlighted how dual-pulse propulsion systems can extend a missile’s effective engagement window. Unlike traditional single-burn rockets, dual-pulse motors provide sustained thrust during the terminal phase of flight. This makes it harder for targeted aircraft to evade. The encounter served as a wake-up call for Western air forces, reinforcing concerns already present in intelligence assessments.

While details remain partially classified, the idea is clear: Chinese missile technology is no longer theoretical or experimental, but fully operational and more capable than once thought. This raises the stakes for any future confrontation involving advanced air forces.

Inside the PL-15: China’s Long-Reach Weapon​

The PL-15 is widely regarded as China’s premier beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. Equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar seeker, it offers improved resistance to jamming and enhanced targeting precision. Its estimated range, often cited as exceeding 200 kilometers, places it ahead of most Western counterparts currently in service. The missile is designed to be carried internally by stealth fighters such as the J-20.

A key feature of the PL-15 is its dual-pulse rocket motor, which provides a second burst of energy during the latter stages of flight. This allows the missile to maintain speed and maneuverability as it approaches its target. The design reflects a broader Chinese emphasis on long-range engagement capabilities. It is specifically intended to target high-value assets, such as AWACS aircraft, tankers, and advanced fighters.

In many ways, the PL-15 represents a shift in air combat philosophy by prioritizing reach and sustained energy over sheer speed. This aligns with China’s broader anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy.

Western Responses: Closing the Gap​

The United States is actively working to address the range disparity through both upgrades and new programs. The AIM-120D continues to receive incremental improvements, including better data-link capabilities and extended range. However, the greater effort lies in developing the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). This next-generation weapon is expected to surpass the PL-15 in range while maintaining compatibility with existing platforms.

Meanwhile, Europe has taken a different approach with the Meteor missile. Developed by a consortium of European defense companies, Meteor uses a ramjet propulsion system instead of a traditional rocket. This allows it to sustain high speeds over long distances, maintaining energy throughout the engagement. The missile is already integrated into platforms such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale.

Missile Comparison: Range and Capability

The contrast between American incremental upgrades and European propulsion innovation highlights different strategic approaches. Both aim to counter the same challenge: ensuring that Western air forces can engage first and decisively.

As air combat continues to evolve, range is emerging as the defining metric of superiority. Stealth, sensors, and networking remain critical, but they must be paired with weapons capable of exploiting those advantages. Without sufficient missile reach, even the most advanced aircraft risk being outmatched. This reality is driving rapid investment in next-generation munitions.

The development of the AIM-260 and continued upgrades to allied systems signal a recognition of the urgency. Future conflicts will likely involve highly contested environments. In such scenarios, the side that can engage first and maintain energy through the engagement will hold the upper hand. The challenge posed by the PL-15 is reshaping Western air combat doctrine.

 
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