PL-15 Missile:
Amid the ongoing escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, a fully intact Chinese-made PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile has been recovered in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur.
- The PL-15, known as “Thunderbolt-15,” is a long-range, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).
- It was developed by China’s 607 Institute and manufactured by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).
- It can engage enemy aircraft at distances well beyond visual range.
- It features a dual-pulse solid-propellant rocket motor, allowing it to reach speeds exceeding Mach 5.
- The domestic Chinese version boasts a range of 200–300 km, while the export variant, the PL-15E, has a declared maximum range of 145 km, though operational factors may reduce this to 100–120 km depending on the launch platform.
- The missile is equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 20–25 kg, optimized to destroy maneuvering aerial targets.
- The PL-15 employs a sophisticated guidance system, combining inertial navigation, Beidou satellite updates, a two-way datalink for mid-course corrections, and a terminal active radar seeker using advanced AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) technology.
- This suite provides high accuracy, resistance to electronic jamming, and the ability to engage targets in contested environments.
