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Image suggests China’s J-16 can carry near max weapons load
A Chinese military magazine said the jet in a May photo used 10 external hardpoints, pointing to expanded offensive tactical capability.
A newly circulated image of a People’s Liberation Army J-16 multirole fighter configured in what a Chinese military magazine called a rare, heavy air-superiority loadout suggests China’s air force has developed more offensive tactical capabilities, according to the South China Morning Post.
The magazine, Ordnance Science and Technology, said the May-circulating photo showed the J-16 carrying multiple long-range missiles using 10 external-weapon hardpoints, an approach it described as nearing the jet’s maximum-payload “beast mode.”
The outlet notes that “beast mode” refers to a fighter’s maximum weapons configuration, designed to maximize ordnance carried and sustained combat capability, a term Chinese state media have also used for other fighter jets.
The photo was originally issued by a Chinese aviation oversight body and then spread quickly through international open-source intelligence networks, according to SCMP Economy.