PL-15

The PL-15 (Chinese: 霹雳-15; pinyin: Pī Lì-Yāo Wǔ; lit. 'Thunderbolt-15', NATO reporting name: CH-AA-10 Abaddon[6]) is an active radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of China.

PL-15
A Chengdu J-20 with four PL-15 inside the weapons bay
TypeBeyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
Place of originPeople's Republic of China
Service history
In service2016–present
Production history
Manufacturer607 Air-to-Air Missile Research Institute[1][2]
Specifications
Mass200–230 kg (PL-15)[3]
≤210 kg (PL-15E)
Length399.6 cm (PL-15E)
Diameter20.3 cm (PL-15E)
EngineDual pulsed solid-propellant rocket[2]
Operational
range
200–300 km (120–190 mi) (PL-15) [4][1][2][5]
145 km (90 mi) (PL-15E) [1]
Maximum speed Mach 4+
Guidance
system
Active radar homing
Launch
platform
J-20, J-10C, J-15, J-16, J-11B, JF-17 Block-3

History

The PL-15 is developed by Luoyang-based CAMA. The missile was test fired in 2011 and referenced by Chinese state media in 2015.[4] It was spotted in 2013 mounted on a prototype of Chengdu J-20.[7]

The PL-15 entered People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military service around 2015[8] to 2017.[4] The carrying platforms include the Chengdu J-10C, the Shenyang J-16 and the Chengdu J-20. It has also been spotted on the Shenyang J-11B.[7] The PL-15 has begun to replace the earlier PL-12 as the standard beyond-visual-range missile for both PLAAF and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) fighters.[5][7]

In 2017, the United States began developing the AIM-260 JATM to replace the currently in-service AIM-120 AMRAAM in order to better counter the PL-15. The AIM-260 JATM is planned to enter service in late 2022, with advanced variants of the AIM-120 serving as a stop-gap until the AIM-260 can be fielded.[9]

Design

The missile is measured between 3.8 and 4 metres (12 and 13 ft),[5] longer and wider than other contemporary radar missiles. The cropped control fins are designed for internal carriage by stealth aircraft.[7] It incorporates a dual-pulsed solid-fuel rocket motor,[3][4] capable of a speed of Mach 4+ and a range of more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) – comparable to that of the Anglo-French MBDA Meteor.[5] Compared to ramjet-powered Meteor, which advantages in sustained flight profile with a fly-out speed between Mach 3 and 3.5, the dual-pulsed solid propellant rocket motor of PL-15 potentially offers higher burn-out speed excess of Mach 5, then gradually loses its velocity at the terminal phase.[10]

The missile is guided by a miniature active electronically scanned array radar seeker,[11] sporting both active and passive modes for the different mission set. It also features improved resistance to countermeasures.[7] The hybrid guidance system supports a mid-course two-way datalink led by AEW&C aircraft and autonomous terminal radar homing.[4]

At the 2021 Zhuhai Airshow, China unveiled an export variant of PL-15 named PL-15E with a maximum range of 145 km (90 mi). The export version has less range than the domestic version, possibly due to changes in propellant or rocket motor.[7] This is similar to the situation between SD-10 and its domestic counterpart PL-12.

Variants
PL-15
PLAAF domestic version with an estimated range of 200–300 km (120–190 mi).[4][5][2]
PL-15E
Export version of PL-15 with a reduced maximum launch range of 145 km.[12]

Operators
 People's Republic of China
 Pakistan

See also

Comparable Missiles

References
  1. "PL-15 air-to-air missile". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  2. Chen, Chuanren (20 July 2017). "New Chinese Weapons Seen On J-10C Fighter". Aviation International News. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  3. Wood, Yang & Cliff 2020, p. 41.
  4. Wood, Yang & Cliff 2020, pp. 38–39.
  5. Bronk 2020, p. 36.
  6. Barrie, Douglas (21 February 2023). "China's air force modernisation: gaining pace". International Institute for Strategic Studies.
  7. Newdick, Thomas (1 September 2022). "A Guide To China's Increasingly Impressive Air-To-Air Missile Inventory". The Drive. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  8. Barrie, Douglas (21 February 2018). "It's Not Your Father's PLAAF: China's Push to Develop Domestic Air-to-Air Missiles". War on the Rocks. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  9. Cohen, Rachel S. (20 June 2019). "Air Force Developing AMRAAM Replacement to Counter China". Air Force Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  10. Barrie, Douglas (9 September 2022). "Air-to-air warfare: speed kills". Military Balance Blog. International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  11. Champion, Marc (7 May 2018). "Chinese Missiles Are Transforming Balance of Power in the Skies". Bloomberg. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  12. "China's most advanced air-to-air missile destined for export market". South China Morning Post. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  13. Huang, Kristin (30 September 2021). "New version of China's most advanced air-to-air missile the PL-15 is destined for export market". South China Morning Post.
Bibliography
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