Missile PL-15

The PL-15 is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile of Chinese origin. Development included test firing in 2011 and initial sightings on flight-test aircraft in 2013. An export variant was presented in 2021. Subsequent iterations include a version with folded fins and a compressed airframe, designated PL-16, designed to increase internal carriage capacity on low-observable platforms.

The missile utilizes a dual-pulsed solid-propellant rocket motor. The propulsion system allows for speeds exceeding Mach 5, with a second pulse that ignites during the terminal phase to maintain kinetic energy for maneuvering. Guidance is provided by a miniature active electronically scanned array radar seeker featuring both active and passive operating modes. This seeker is designed for resistance to electronic countermeasures and performance against low-observable targets. The guidance architecture supports a mid-course two-way datalink, which can be coordinated by airborne early warning and control aircraft, followed by autonomous terminal homing. The airframe features cropped or folding control fins to facilitate carriage within the internal weapons bays of stealth aircraft. A surface-to-air variant, the SD-30, employs a modular seeker head capable of utilizing either the active radar seeker or an imaging infrared seeker.

The PL-15 entered service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force and Naval Air Force between 2015 and 2017, where it forms the backbone of the long-range aerial intercept inventory, replacing the PL-12. It is widely deployed across several fighter platforms, including the J-20, J-16, J-11B, and J-10C. Pakistan is an international operator, employing the export variant on its J-10C and JF-17 Block-3 aircraft. The missile saw its first combat use in May 2025 during an aerial engagement between Pakistan and India. During this conflict, Pakistani aircraft conducted launches from stand-off distances using target cues provided via tactical data links from auxiliary platforms. Debris from these engagements, including a rear section, was recovered in Indian territory.