The recent escalation between Pakistan and India, which brought both nuclear armed neighbors to the brink of a full scale, marked a significant shift in the nature of warlings between the two countries.
For the first time, French-made 4.5 Gen Rafale fighter jets driven by India were closed down in battle.
Unlike previous conflicts, Pakistan was not dependent on US-supplied weapons, while India is increasingly changed from Russian weapons to equipment set from Western countries.
Development is not only seen as a commitment to the Pakistan India, but as a real proxy test of Chinese versus Western military technology is considered fuel for new competition in the global weapons market and draws diplomatic attention from Paris, Washington and NATO adjusted states.
Several analysts have highlighted the Air Force Advances, with some pointing to the possible role that Chinese delivered PL-15 air-to-air missiles may be the difference.
Photos shared on social media show a section of the missile’s aircraft body with visible serial markings and a searching test port. Another image seems to show the missile’s searching head, equipped with an active electronic scanned array (AESA) radar, known for improved tracking and resistance to clamping.
Air-to-air PL-15 missile
PL-15, developed by China’s Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), is a long range, radar-controlled missile designed to engage with high value of airborne dimensions in intervals exceeding 200 kilometers.
The PL-15 is China’s standard active-radar-guided AAM, and it was meant to at least match the performance of the US-made AIM-12D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (Amraam).
Screen grip
Its export version, PL-15E, is reported to have a maximum interval of 145 kilometers and is integrated with Pakistan’s JF-17 block III and J-10Ce fighters.
The domestic version in the use of the Chinese military has a reported range of between 300-500 kilometers.
South Asian match theater
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) released Visuals on April 26, showing JF-17S armed with PL-15E and PL-10 missiles. Pakistan’s fleet includes an estimated 45-50 JF-17 block IIIs and 20 J-10CES-CA. 70 aircraft capable of implementing PL-15E.
The missile’s guidance system includes inertial navigation, Beidou satellite updates, a two-way data link and AESA Radarterminal Homing.
It has a solid rocket engine with double pulse and can reach speeds exceeding Mach 5. Kar head, typically high explosive fragmentation, weighs between 20 to 25 kg.
The weapon may have been retrieved directly from China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (Plaaf), a claim that was not independently verified.
India’s Air Force, meanwhile, is dependent on Rafales equipped with meteor missiles, SU-30MKIs with R-77s and S-400 SAM systems. PL-15’s range can allow Pakistani warriors to launch beyond India’s engagement conventions.
While Pakistan officially confirmed the use of Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets from Chengdu in the downturn of Indian Rafales, it has not specified the ammunition used.
However, fragments of a PL-15 missile were allegedly extracted from a field near Hoshiarpur in India’s Punjab state, potentially marking the first known application of the Chinese missile in active battle.
The development comes after two US officials told Reuters That a Chinese -made Pakistani fighter jet was responsible for shooting at least two Indian military jets, emphasizing a larger operational milestone for Peking’s advanced fighter systems.
A high -ranking French intelligence officer also confirmed to CNN that at least one IAF Dassault Rafale Jet had been closed down during the three -day trepy with Pakistan Air Force.
The Disbris discovery adds pressure to regional air defense planning and emphasizes changing dynamics in South Asia’s arms landscape. India’s diversified procurement contrasts with Pakistan’s increasingly centralized dependence on Chinese systems.
Chinese state media has highlighted the PL-15ES export preparedness and advanced production lines. The system’s presence in an active conflict can give China operational feedback and expand its influence on the global weapons market. Neither China nor Pakistan have commented on the appearance of the missile.
The implementation of the Chinese-made PL-15 missile in South Asia presents a direct technological counter to Western systems such as the US AIM-12D Amraam and France’s Meteor missile.
While the meteor is largely considered superior to non-capezones and sustained progress via ramjet, PL-15’s longer reach and advanced AESA guidance it provides a strategic edge in first-launching scenarios when fired from standoff intervals.
