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Almost a decade has passed since the People’s Liberation Army pulled the trigger on President Xi Jinping’s plans for a massive overhaul of the world’s biggest military. In the eighth of a series on Chinese weapons systems, we look at the country’s advanced air-to-air missile.
It was not until the combat debut of the PL-15E during a
skirmish between Pakistan and India last week that the capabilities of the Chinese-made air-to-air missile were truly put to the test – after years of speculation by observers abroad.
For decades, Chinese-made air-to-air missiles were believed to be imitations of Western designs. But the recent deployment of the PL-15E by the Pakistan Air Force serves as a fresh reminder that the strengths of China’s air-to-air missile systems – alongside a growing fleet of advanced
fighter aircraft – can no longer be ignored.
Imagery of a Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu JF-17 Block III, armed with four PL-15 BVR missiles, appeared in an official PAF video on air force readiness that was published on the service's YouTube channel on 29 April.
While Pakistan received its first batch of PL-15 missiles in 2021, according to
Janes data, the new video provides official evidence that the missile has been integrated with the JF-17 Block III.
Janes previously reported that the Block III variant entered the PAF service in 2023.
In the same video, the PAF also showed a J-10C in a camouflage colour scheme of green-grey, equipped with PL-15 missiles in dual-launch wing hardpoints. Earlier,
Janes had reported that J-10C aircraft in this colour scheme are used in the maritime strike role.
Missile capabilities
Developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the PL-15 has been in Chinese military service since 2016. Designed as an enhanced version of the earlier PL-12 BVRAAM, the PL-15 is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system and is capable of a speed of Mach 4.
Janes estimates that the PL-15 has a maximum range of 300 km. In contrast, the earlier PL-12 (SD-10/10A) missile, which Pakistan also possesses, has an estimated maximum range of 70–100 km.
In the PAF video, the JF-17 Block III aircraft featured the serial number 22-311 and was also equipped with wingtip-mounted PL-10 short-range imaging infrared (IIR)-guided AAMs. The aircraft lacked a squadron insignia."
