The 15th-anniversary commemorative video of the Chinese Air Force’s J-20 fighter jet surprised global defense observers with a fleeting glimpse: the J-20’s main weapons bay swung open and a sleek, almost wingless ‘bare pole missile’ shot out. This ‘wingless’ design has been humorously nicknamed ‘little flying stick’, and external sources believe the missile is likely the specially customized ‘PL-16’ for fifth-generation stealth fighter internal weapon bays, reportedly capable of hunting down enemy aircraft up to 300 kilometers away.
● Design Allows Increased Payload
The main feature of this air-to-air missile is the removal of large fins, replaced with ultra-compact wings or even all-moving tail fins. The streamlined design transforms the missile into a smooth cylindrical shape. By eliminating the wings and freeing up space, the J-20’s main bay can increase its load from 4 ‘PL-15’ missiles to at least 6 ‘PL-16’ missiles.
According to well-known military self-media outlet “Zhu Wang Yun Xiao,” the ‘bare pole’ design of the ‘PL-16’ helps extend its range and significantly reduces energy loss during flight. It is said that the missile uses advanced dual-pulse or multi-pulse solid rocket engines. This means its performance is akin to a long-distance runner: conserving ‘energy’ mid-flight, then igniting again at the terminal phase for a second boost, unleashing tremendous kinetic energy to make escape nearly impossible for opponents.
As for doubts about how the missile can turn without wings, analysts point out that at hypersonic speeds the cylinder-shaped body itself can generate lift. Coupled with high-precision thrust vector control, the ‘PL-16’ no longer needs bulky fins to steer airflow; instead, it directly alters the jet direction and adjusts the angle of attack to achieve extremely high-g maneuverability.
The sleek design of the ‘PL-16’ not only allows tighter arrangement in the bay, but also minimizes radar cross-section disturbance at the moment it leaves the bay, enabling the J-20 to maintain low observability even during missile launch. Further analysis suggests the missile revealed in the video is likely the finalized version of the PL-16, effectively addressing the J-20’s previous payload limitations.