India's strategic edge: Unlocking the secrets of the PL‑15 missile
India has discovered fragments of the PL-15 missile, which could greatly enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force within a decade and pose significant challenges to China.
The last "hot episode" in the relations between India and Pakistan concluded with an aerial battle between the Indian and Pakistani air forces, during which the Indians lost their first Rafale aircraft.
According to the portal The National Interest, Indian soldiers have retrieved fragments of a Chinese medium-range air-to-air PL-15E missile launched by a Pakistani JF-17 Thunder aircraft. This discovery is of great value to India, as they can now attempt to unravel its secrets.
Valuable Chinese PL-15E missile - here's how the Indians might have acquired it
It's important to mention that every new missile typically includes a self-destruct mechanism designed to detonate it after a certain period, making it harder for opponents to reverse-engineer. However, like any mechanical or electronic system, it can be unreliable and might not have functioned correctly, as missiles endure immense forces.
Now, the Indians will strive to replicate the components absent in their national weapons development programme. The concentration will likely be on the active radar seeker with active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology and the communication link that maintains connectivity between the launched missile and the aircraft, permitting updates to the target's location or even changes in flight. It is also conceivable that the data or wreckage may attract interest from other parties, including Americans.
PL-15E - the export version of a weapon feared by Americans
The PL-15 missile was crafted by the China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA), and it appeared in Chinese media in 2015. This timing was intentional, as the new missile was anticipated to enter service in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) between 2015 and 2017. Consequently, it is a relatively new development that, outside China, has only been delivered to Pakistan.
The PL-15 is a 4-metre-long missile with a diameter of 20 centimetres and an estimated range of over 200 kilometres, significantly surpassing what even the latest versions of the AIM-120D AMRAAM offer. This has raised considerable concerns for Americans, who are attempting to develop countermeasures under programmes such as XAIM-174B or AIM-260 JATM.
The exact intricacies of the PL-15 remain undisclosed, but it is believed to possess a two-stage rocket motor capable of propelling the missile to speeds of Mach 5. This system is engineered for brief operational periods in the missile's final flight phase, boosting the likelihood of intercepting the target. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the export version, PL-15E, is thought to have a reduced range estimated at 93 miles compared to the variant reserved for the People's Republic of China.
