The Thunderbolt-17 missile, as an ultra-long-range air-to-air missile in China, can be regarded as a "killer weapon" of China's fighters. According to outside speculation, the Thunderbolt-17 has a range of far more than 400 kilometers and a maximum flight speed of Mach 6, so it is also the world's longest-range hypersonic air-to-air missile.
The Thunderbolt-17 missile, its ignition launch mode is a bit special, it uses a high-throw mode similar to an upward arc, after the initial ignition, the missile enters the atmosphere, and then after the second ignition, and finally attacks the initial target.
As the most advanced fifth-generation aircraft in China, the J-20 fighter has a endurance of no less than 4,500 kilometers. In the past, the J-20 fighter equipped with the turbofan-10C engine has the high performance that is not inferior to the fighters of the same generation in other countries, and the performance of the J-20 fighter will become more excellent after the latest turbofan-15 engine is replaced. If it is paired with the Thunderbolt-17 missile, the performance of the J-20 can already be expected.
On the other hand, in the United States, the AIM-120D medium-range air-to-air missile carried by the US F22 has a maximum range of only more than 200 kilometers, which is a big gap compared with the Thunderbolt-17. In the event of war, the J-20 can carry the Thunderbolt-17 and launch it outside the maximum range of the US medium-range air-to-air missile, and the US military cannot return fire. This is the biggest advantage of the Thunderbolt-17 missile.
Therefore, the commander of the US Pacific Air Force Command, Wells **, has previously expressed his concern about the Thunderbolt-17 missile, saying that compared with the J-20, the "ultra-long-range kill chain" formed by the Thunderbolt-17 air-to-air missile and the early warning aircraft is the force that the US Air Force really needs to pay attention to.
According to a report by the United States, the U.S. military is stepping up the development of a new generation of long-range air-to-air missiles in an attempt to counter the Thunderbolt-17, but China's missiles are also constantly improving.