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What is China-made PL-15 missile which is used by PAF? 5 facts
The four-day hostilities started after Pakistan targeted India's defence facilities and cities following New Delhi's precision strikes on terrorist targets.
In the four-day intense combat between India and Pakistan, the Pakistani armed forces reportedly used China-made PL-15 beyond visual range air-to-air missiles.
What is PL-15? Here are five points on it.
- PL-15 is a radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of China. It is used by the country's air force. The Pakistan Air Force also uses the weapon.
- The PL-15 has a maximum range of 200 kilometres. It is guided with a combination of inertial, satellite navigation, datalink and active radar, the Global Times, China's state mouthpiece, reported in 2021.
- It was developed by the Luoyang-based China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA). It was test-fired in 2011. It entered China's military in 2015. It was seen on China's Chengdu J-10C, the Shenyang J-16 and the Chengdu J-20 platforms.
- Its export variant was displayed in the 2021 Zhuhai Airshow. The export variant's range is 145 km. It uses a dual-pulsed solid-fuel rocket motor. It can achieve speeds greater than Mach 5, which is five times the speed of sound.
- The length of the missile is 4 metres, and its diameter is 200 millimetres.
According to an HT report, Pakistan also used Turkish-origin armed drones. Most of these attacks were thwarted by the Indian armed forces using the S-400 air defence systems, Akash surface-to-air missiles, Barak 8 defences, and anti-drone technologies.
Also read: Visible weapons, invisible enemy: A new era of war
India reportedly counterattacked using Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer smart weapons, and loitering munitions—essentially sensor-equipped kamikaze drones.
The four-day hostilities started after Pakistan targeted India's defence facilities and cities following New Delhi's precision strikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Also read: Hours after India said it downed Pakistani jets, Islamabad's bizarre admission
In retaliation against Pakistani attacks, India targeted Pakistan's strategically crucial air force bases, including the Nur Khan station in Rawalpindi. India's strikes extensively damaged the stations.
Hours after India's strikes, Pakistan's DGMO contacted his Indian counterpart for a cessation of hostilities.
