Attack-11 Fires PL-15: China’s Loyal Wingman Emerges

The smoking gun has just surfaced online. Screenshots circulating on the internet show a People's Liberation Army Attack-11 'Xuanlong' ('Mysterious Dragon') UAV firing a PL-15 medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile.

Attack-11 fires PL-15: stealth striker turned air combatant.

The Smoking Gun

Outside observers had already connected the dots. Judging from public models, airshow displays and related information, they had concluded that the Attack-11 can carry air-to-air missiles and perform air combat missions. These images, at minimum, corroborate that assessment at the evidentiary level.

The real significance runs deeper. The disclosure signals that the Attack-11's mission orientation is no longer limited to the traditional role of exploiting its own stealth for air-to-ground and anti-ship strikes. The drone is beginning to evolve into an air combat platform with manned-unmanned cooperative combat capability.

The Attack-11 UAV first stepped into public view at the 2019 National Day military parade. The AVIC 601 Institute developed the aircraft, and Hongdu Aviation Industry Group produces it.

The airframe is a pure tailless flying wing, with no conventional vertical stabilizer or horizontal tail. Stack on stealth coatings, internal weapons bays, stealthy intakes and treated engine exhaust nozzles, and the aircraft delivers superb infrared and radar stealth.

The spec sheet is compact but telling. According to relevant materials, the Attack-11 is 12.2 meters long and 2.7 meters high, with a wingspan of 14.4 meters. Its frontal radar cross-section measures less than 0.01 square meters. A single small turbofan engine drives the drone at high subsonic speed, out to a maximum range of 4,000 kilometers.

A frontal radar cross-section of less than 0.01 square meters means the aircraft shows up on an adversary's radar screen almost like a small bird or a faint patch of clutter. That amounts to extremely strong low observability.

Combine that with the favorable aerodynamics of the tailless flying wing, the Attack-11 can sustain a long cruise radius without ever engaging its afterburner. It can slip deep into an opponent's defense zones and remain hard to detect. That is the foundation for executing a wide range of high-risk missions.

Hidden bays carry air-to-ground or air-to-air — stealth preserved .

The Arsenal Inside: Internal Bays, Flexible Loadouts and the PL-15's Reach

The Attack-11 plays in a different league. Measured against the Attack-1, Attack-2 and Attack-3, unmanned attackers defined mainly by integrated reconnaissance and strike, it clearly belongs to a higher class of unmanned combat platform. Stealth lets it slip deep into an opponent's defenses for reconnaissance, precision ground strikes, suppression of enemy air defenses and anti-ship operations. Data links then tie it to manned fighters, letting it join air combat missions as their 'loyal wingman.'

The real firepower hides in its belly. Two internal weapons bays on the underside of the fuselage can be loaded with multiple types of weapons to match the Attack-11's multi-mission profile. Public information so far points to a strike and anti-ship loadout of six small-diameter precision-guided glide bombs plus one heavy precision-guided glide bomb, or eight medium precision-guided glide bombs. For air-to-air missions, each of the two internal bays carries a single PL-15 medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile.

The internal bays do double duty. They guarantee the munitions load while keeping externally mounted weapons from wrecking the stealth shape. That gives the Attack-11 a sound balance between firepower and stealth.

The missile itself deserves a closer look. The PL-15 medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile was developed and produced by China Airborne Missile Academy(CAMA). Public data describe a round 4 meters long, 203 millimeters in diameter and 210 kilograms in weight. It runs a dual-pulse solid rocket motor, reaches a maximum range of 200 to 300 kilometers, and carries a fragmentation warhead fitted with a radio proximity fuze.

The guidance system stacks layer upon layer. The missile applies a composite regime of 'inertial guidance plus BeiDou satellite guidance plus two-way data-link correction plus active radar terminal guidance.' Its active electronically scanned array radar seeker brings formidable detection and anti-jamming capability, a low probability of signal interception and a strong element of surprise. The dual-pulse motor design adds a second ignition in midcourse flight, stretching the PL-15's effective range. High terminal kinetic energy persists at medium-to-long distance, keeping the no-escape zone large.

Those specifications put it at the front of the pack. The technical benchmark ranks among the leaders in the international family of comparable air-to-air missiles. In overall performance it stands level with new-generation medium-range missiles such as the US-made AIM-120D, and some key parameters tilt further in its favor. That gives the Attack-11 a reliable munitions foundation for beyond-visual-range air combat.

One Fighter, Three Drones: Manned-Unmanned Teaming Goes Operational

In actual combat, the Attack-11 unmanned aerial vehicle carrying PL-15 medium-to-long-range air-to-air missiles teams up with advanced domestic two-seat fighters such as the J-20 and J-16 for manned-unmanned cooperative operations. CCTV's earlier public footage has already confirmed the arrangement.

CCTV's official briefing lays out the formula: one J-20 or J-16 fighter coordinates with three Attack-11 drones simultaneously in combat.

Teamed with stealth drones, fighters see farther, strike deeper.

The division of labor is sharp. The manned fighter handles battlefield situation assessment, mission authorization and core decision-making. The Attack-11 drones shoulder the high-risk work: firepower strikes, electronic support, decoying and reconnaissance.

That split frees the manned fighter from stacking every task onto its own platform. Datalinks pull the Attack-11 into a larger combat network, further widening the sensing range and firepower coverage of the friendly air combat system. The edge matters most against high-value airborne targets such as large enemy electronic warfare aircraft, transports, early warning planes and tankers.

With the Attack-11 scouting ahead and pushing firepower forward, manned jets can lock onto and strike enemy soft-spot targets at greater range. Valuable pilots no longer have to run major risks punching through an opponent's defenses.

Zoom out, and 'loyal wingman'-style manned-unmanned teaming is exactly the direction the world's major military powers are now exploring. The United States is advancing concepts that pair stealth drones such as the XQ-58A "Valkyrie" with manned fighters. Several European countries run similar cooperative combat programs.

China, by contrast, has taken the idea off the drawing board. CCTV's public footage, airshow displays and this live-fire launch screenshot show the country has pushed this form of operations from conceptual vision to actual application.

That leap reflects the overall progress of China's aviation industry across drone platforms, datalinks, sensors and munitions systems. It also signals that this combat system has reached considerable maturity.

The New Shape of Air Combat: From Manned Platforms to System Confrontation

So the real significance of this footage of a Attack-11 launching a PL-15 medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile is not the confirmation of a long-standing claim. The footage matters because it spotlights a shift in the very shape of the air force's future air combat.

In the past, the core of the air force's air combat still revolved around the contest for air superiority, with manned fighters at its heart.

In the future, the roles split. Manned fighters will command and decide, while drones take on tasks such as forward firepower strikes, electronic warfare, and reconnaissance. Multiple advanced unmanned combat aircraft can even join together into distributed operational nodes that support the manned fighters, boosting the air force's combat effectiveness.

This shift from 'manned platform at the center' to 'manned-plus-unmanned system confrontation' is likely to become an important direction in the evolution of the future air combat landscape.

The Art of Stopping War

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Just a week ago, observers were still asking who would become the third user of China's homegrown J-10CE fighter. A week later, that question can barely keep up with events. Bangladesh, Azerbaijan and Indonesia have all reported new progress at almost the same time.

The Buyers Line Up

In a matter of days, the overseas customer list for a single fighter jet has jumped from two countries to several. That kind of surge is rare in today's international arms market.

Start with Bangladesh. Reports say the country's price list and budget for 20 J-10CEs have gone public, and negotiations have entered the final stage.

The process has moved fast. Last year China said it would actively push air force cooperation with Bangladesh and deepen practical exchanges. The two sides then reached an intent to sell, and now a detailed quotation sits on the table. At this point, what remains is mainly a question of when the pen hits the paper. What public channels show so far is still the quotation and the progress of negotiations. No formal contract has appeared yet.

The Bangladesh track is no surprise in itself. The country has long used a considerable amount of Chinese equipment for air defense and training. Public records show that man-portable missiles like the FN-6 have even been licensed for local production.

On that foundation, buying the J-10CE is a step up along an existing channel. It is not a new system built from scratch.

Azerbaijan displayed a full-scale J-10CE model bearing the national flag, an eagle emblem and President Aliyev's signature at the defense exhibition.

Baku's Bold Signal

Azerbaijan is the loudest thread in this story, and the one that demands the most caution. At a defense exhibition in Baku, organizers rolled out a full-scale J-10CE model dressed up in remarkable detail. The vertical tail carries Azerbaijan's national flag and eagle emblem. The fuselage wears the number "27-001," and President Aliyev's signature sits above the canard.

On top of that, reports say Baku has scrapped plans to buy follow-on batches of the JF-17 Block 3 and is preparing to pivot to the J-10CE instead.

The signaling here is hard to miss. The JF-17 Block 3 is a fourth-and-a-half-generation fighter, but it is still a light jet. Public information puts the Azerbaijani Air Force's inventory at roughly a dozen-plus MiG-29s, a handful of MiG-21s and more than ten Su-25s. That is over thirty aging aircraft waiting to be replaced.

The logic writes itself. Use the JF-17 first to bed down the Chinese-style ecosystem of logistics, munitions and data links, then jump straight to a medium-weight fourth-and-a-half-generation mainstay fighter. For a country caught in the Caucasus arms race, it is an understandable path.

But a model, a paint scheme and a signature are all exhibition-floor theater. The claim that Baku canceled its JF-17 order exists only at the level of reports. Neither development has been confirmed by a formal contract, and should not be treated the as a signed deal.

What can be said with confidence is this: Azerbaijan's interest in the J-10CE is now out in the open, and it sits just one step away from a final deal.

Jakarta Closes the Loop

Indonesia's courtship has run the longest. It has also come full circle.

From May to June 2025, the rumor was that Jakarta would buy second-hand J-10s. Observers even debated whether the jets would be early J-10As or the scarcer J-10Bs fitted with passive phased-array radar.

By October 2025, the story had escalated to funding for 42 new J-10CEs. The defense minister said at the time that the fighters would soon be flying over Jakarta.

Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff Haryono, asked about progress on the fighter purchase, urged the public to be patient. Reports say the first batch of J-10s is expected to arrive within six months.

In June 2026, media reports said the number had been adjusted and that the package would include PL-15E long-range air-to-air missiles. Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto backed the plan, saying it would strengthen modern combat capability while delivering value for the defense budget.

Then, on October 5, Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff Hajorono told reporters in Jakarta that the public should patiently await the J-10s. He said the first batch would arrive in six months.

That was the final click. The air force's top professional officer had matched his message to procurement details that had been tightening step by step, closing the loop.

Indonesia's choice looks even more revealing against the makeup of its own fleet. The air force already flies Russian Su-27/30s, American F-16s, French Rafales and British Hawk trainers.

For a buyer accustomed to shopping around, adding a cost-effective medium fighter fills a gap in the system. It also preserves Jakarta's leverage to keep pushing on price and hedge its bets across multiple suppliers.

As for social media claims by users saying they are relatives of Indonesian pilots, some have alleged that the pilots have already gone through training in China. Without any official confirmation, those accounts remain unverified rumors.

After Pakistan inducted the J-10CE, observers turned their attention to the liveries and movements of potential users such as Uzbekistan.

Combat Sells Jets

Line the threads up and a rough trajectory emerges. Pakistan was the first overseas customer, and around the May 7 air battle the jet got its first real combat test. After that, doubts over whether Chinese fighters had seen actual combat gradually gave way to open discussion.

Uzbekistan was widely seen as the second user. The cold-toned new paint scheme that surfaced in CCTV coverage was generally read as matching its Central Asian livery style.

Then came Bangladesh's quoted scheduling, Azerbaijan closing in as a system user, and finally a bet from a regional heavyweight like Indonesia.

Behind the thread sits a familiar logic of the arms trade. Combat performance is the best advertisement, system integration is the hardest bar to clear, and price is what pulls hesitant buyers to the table.

France's Rafale has dominated the market for years on the strength of the first two. Its product is combat-proven and comes with NATO data links and logistics standards built in.

Now the J-10CE packs all three advantages: combat experience, system integration and price. That gives the expansion of its customer list a solid footing.

Signatures Still Count

A name on a list is not a signed contract. There is still real distance between the two. A budget is a budget, a quote is a quote, and a signature on a model is just a gesture. Only an order committed to paper counts.

Egypt is the ready example. Cairo got a close-up look at the Chinese Air Force's full system during joint exercises. Yet it remained boxed in by U.S. military loans and France's after-sales lock-in, and turned back to order more Rafales.

The lesson is clear. The cost of switching systems remains the most realistic hurdle Chinese equipment must clear as it goes global.

So the real story is not three buyers appearing overnight. It is the J-10CE graduating from "a candidate aircraft with real combat results" to "a mature option with a delivery record." The combat results of the May 7 air battle are all holding a place for the next user on the potential list.

Whether names like Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt show up depends on whether each can clear the hurdles of U.S. loans, the NATO system, and technical standards.

The international arms trade has always followed one rule: when equipment proves itself in real combat, customers crowd the shelves. The market attention now swirling around the J-10CE is, roughly speaking, one more confirmation of that rule.