# PL-15

The PL-15 (Chinese: 霹雳-15; pinyin: Pī Lì-Yāo Wǔ; lit. 'Thunderbolt-15', NATO reporting name: CH-AA-10 Abaddon) is an active radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of China.

## History

The PL-15 is developed by Luoyang-based China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA). The missile was test fired in 2011 and referenced by Chinese state media in 2015. It was spotted in 2013 mounted on a prototype of Chengdu J-20.
The PL-15 entered People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military service around 2015 to 2017. The carrying platforms include the Chengdu J-10C, the Shenyang J-16 and the Chengdu J-20. It has also been spotted on the Shenyang J-11B. The PL-15 has begun to replace the earlier PL-12 as the standard beyond-visual-range missile for both PLAAF and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) fighters.
In 2017, the United States began developing the AIM-260 JATM to replace the currently in-service AIM-120 AMRAAM in order to better counter the PL-15. The AIM-260 JATM is planned to enter service by 2024, with advanced variants of the AIM-120 (such as the AIM-120D) serving as a stop-gap until the AIM-260 can be fielded.
The PL-15E, the export variant, was presented at the 2021 Zhuhai Airshow. The PL-15E has less range than the PL-15, possibly due to changes in propellant or rocket motor. This is similar to the situation between SD-10 and its domestic counterpart PL-12.
There were constant rumors about a variant or derivate of the PL-15 designed for compressed carriage. In 2020, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reported the development of the PL-16 missile, a thinner version of the PL-15, to allow J-20 to carry six missiles inside its internal carriage. In January 2024, the PL-16 missile was confirmed to have a smaller airframe design with folded fins and a high-performance dual-pulse motor to maintain a performance level similar to the regular PL-15. At the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, the export variant PL-15E was shown to have folding rear fins, increasing the internal payload of the Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-35. The PL15 and PL-15E with folding fins could supplement or replace the regular PL-15 in the future.

## Design

The missile is measured between 3.8 and 4 metres (12 and 13 ft), longer and wider than other contemporary radar missiles. The cropped control fins are designed for internal carriage by stealth aircraft. A later redesign incorporated folding tail fins and smaller central fins, further decreasing its footprint. It incorporates a dual-pulsed solid-fuel rocket motor, capable of a speed of Mach 4+ and a range of more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) – comparable to that of the Anglo-French MBDA Meteor. Compared to the ramjet-powered Meteor, which has advantages in sustained flight profile with a fly-out speed between Mach 3 and 3.5, the dual-pulsed solid propellant rocket motor of PL-15 offers higher burn-out speed excess of Mach 5, then gradually loses its velocity at the terminal phase. Meteor is likely to retain a larger NEZ (No Escape Zone) and higher long-range kill probability due to its ramjet propulsion. However, PL-15 can also sustain the Mach 5 speed longer if launched at supersonic speed.
The missile is guided by a miniature active electronically scanned array radar seeker, sporting both active and passive modes for the different mission set. It also features improved resistance to countermeasures. The hybrid guidance system supports a mid-course two-way datalink led by AEW&C aircraft and autonomous terminal radar homing.

## Variants
### PL-15

    PLAAF domestic version with an estimated range of 200–300 km (120–190 mi).

### PL-15E

    Export version of PL-15 with a reduced maximum launch range of 145 km

### PL-15/E Folding Fins

    PL-15 and PL-15E with folded tail fins that allows J-20 and J-35 internal weapons bay to carry six missiles

### PL-16 (CH-AA-X-13)

    A further development of PL-15 that allows J-20's internal weapons bay to carry six missiles simultaneously (whereas PL-15 is quad-packed). The PL-16 missile, while smaller in dimension, features a compressed airframe, folded fins, and a high-performance dual-pulse motor to deliver the same performance as the regular PL-15.

## Operators
### People's Republic of China

* People's Liberation Army Air Force: PL-15
* People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force: PL-15

### Pakistan

* Pakistan Air Force: PL-15E