| PL-15 | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) A Chengdu J-20 with four PL-15 inside the weapons bay | |
| Type | Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2016–present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 200–230 kg (441–507 lb) (PL-15) ≤210 kg (463 lb) (PL-15E) |
| Length | 399.6 cm (13 ft 1.3 in) (PL-15E) |
| Diameter | 20.3 cm (8.0 in) (PL-15E) |
| Engine | Dual pulsed solid-propellant rocket |
| Operational range | 200–300 km (120–190 mi) (PL-15) 145 km (90 mi) (PL-15E) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 5+ |
| Guidance system | Active radar homing |
| Launch platform | J-20, J-35, J-10C, J-15, J-16, J-11B, JF-17 Block-3 |
The PL-15 (Chinese: 霹雳-15; pinyin: Pī Lì-Yāo Wǔ; lit. 'Thunderbolt-15', NATO reporting name: CH-AA-10 Abaddon) is an active radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of China.
History
The PL-15 is developed by Luoyang-based China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA). The missile was test fired in 2011 and referenced by Chinese state media in 2015. It was spotted in 2013 mounted on a prototype of Chengdu J-20.
The PL-15 entered People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military service around 2015 to 2017. 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. 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.
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 by 2024, with advanced variants of the AIM-120 (such as the AIM-120D) serving as a stop-gap until the AIM-260 can be fielded.
The PL-15E, the export variant, was presented at the 2021 Zhuhai Airshow. The PL-15E has less range than the PL-15, possibly due to changes in propellant or rocket motor. This is similar to the situation between SD-10 and its domestic counterpart PL-12.
There were constant rumors about a variant or derivate of the PL-15 designed for compressed carriage. In 2020, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reported the development of the PL-16 missile, a thinner version of the PL-15, to allow J-20 to carry six missiles inside its internal carriage. In January 2024, the PL-16 missile was confirmed to have a smaller airframe design with folded fins and a high-performance dual-pulse motor to maintain a performance level similar to the regular PL-15. At the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, the export variant PL-15E was shown to have folding rear fins, increasing the internal payload of the Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-35. The PL15 and PL-15E with folding fins could supplement or replace the regular PL-15 in the future.
Design
The missile is measured between 3.8 and 4 metres (12 and 13 ft), longer and wider than other contemporary radar missiles. The cropped control fins are designed for internal carriage by stealth aircraft. A later redesign incorporated folding tail fins and smaller central fins, further decreasing its footprint. It incorporates a dual-pulsed solid-fuel rocket motor, 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. Compared to the ramjet-powered Meteor, which has 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 offers higher burn-out speed excess of Mach 5, then gradually loses its velocity at the terminal phase. Meteor is likely to retain a larger NEZ (No Escape Zone) and higher long-range kill probability due to its ramjet propulsion. However, PL-15 can also sustain the Mach 5 speed longer if launched at supersonic speed.
The missile is guided by a miniature active electronically scanned array radar seeker, sporting both active and passive modes for the different mission set. It also features improved resistance to countermeasures. The hybrid guidance system supports a mid-course two-way datalink led by AEW&C aircraft and autonomous terminal radar homing.
Variants
- PL-15
- PLAAF domestic version with an estimated range of 200–300 km (120–190 mi).
- PL-15E
- Export version of PL-15 with a reduced maximum launch range of 145 km
- PL-15/E Folding Fins
- PL-15 and PL-15E with folded tail fins that allows J-20 and J-35 internal weapons bay to carry six missiles
- PL-16 (CH-AA-X-13)
- A further development of PL-15 that allows J-20's internal weapons bay to carry six missiles simultaneously (whereas PL-15 is quad-packed). The PL-16 missile, while smaller in dimension, features a compressed airframe, folded fins, and a high-performance dual-pulse motor to deliver the same performance as the regular PL-15.
Operators
- Pakistan Air Force: PL-15E
See also
Comparable missiles
- AIM-120 AMRAAM – (United States)
- AIM-260 JATM – (United States)
- Meteor – (France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden)
- R-77 – (Russia)
References
- ^ Wood, Yang & Cliff 2020, p. 41.
- ^ Chen, Chuanren (20 July 2017). "New Chinese Weapons Seen On J-10C Fighter". Aviation International News. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Wood, Yang & Cliff 2020, pp. 38–39.
- ^ "PL-15 air-to-air missile". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
- ^ Bronk 2020, p. 36.
- ^ "6: Waiting in the Wings: The Asia-Pacific Air-to-Air Challenge". Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2024 (Report). The International Institute for Strategic Studies. May 2024.
- Barrie, Douglas (21 February 2023). "China's air force modernisation: gaining pace". International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- ^ Barrie, Douglas (20 January 2024). "Air-to-air missiles push the performance, payload envelope". International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- ^ Newdick, Thomas (1 September 2022). "A Guide To China's Increasingly Impressive Air-To-Air Missile Inventory". The Drive. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- 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.
- 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.
- Tirpak, John (2 May 2023). "Kendall and Brown: JATM Will Start Production This Year, Equip Collaborative Combat Aircraft". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ Joe, Rick (30 November 2024). "Assessing the J-35A: The Chinese Air Force's New Stealth Fighter". The Diplomat.
- Barrie, Douglas (24 April 2020). "Air-launched missiles: a low-observable numbers game". International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- ^ Newdick, Thomas (11 November 2024). "New Version Of Chinese PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Tailored For Stealth Fighters Revealed". The War Zone.
- Waldron, Greg (15 November 2024). "PL-15E at Zhuhai suggests China squeezing more missiles into stealth jets". FlightGlobal. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024.
- Barrie, Douglas (9 September 2022). "Air-to-air warfare: speed kills". Military Balance Blog. International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- Newdick, Thomas (1 September 2022). "A Guide To China's Increasingly Impressive Air-To-Air Missile Inventory". The Drive. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- Champion, Marc (7 May 2018). "Chinese Missiles Are Transforming Balance of Power in the Skies". Bloomberg. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- "China's most advanced air-to-air missile destined for export market". South China Morning Post. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- 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
- Wood, Peter; Yang, David; Cliff, Roger (November 2020). Air-to-Air Missiles: Capabilities and Development in China (PDF). Montgomery, Alabama: China Aerospace Studies Institute. ISBN 9798574996270.
- Bronk, Justin (October 2020). Russian and Chinese Combat Air Trends: Current Capabilities and Future Threat Outlook (PDF) (Report). Whitehall Report. Vol. 3–20. London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. ISSN 1750-9432.