PL-15 / PL-15E

The PL-15 is a Chinese active-radar beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, with the PL-15E export version documented in Pakistani service during the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict. Its long range, AESA seeker, data-link guidance, and recovered debris made it one of the most closely watched munitions from the May 2025 air battle, although the effects of individual missile shots remain contested in public sources.

2025 India-Pakistan ConflictPakistan

Conflict side: Pakistan
Built by: China Airborne Missile Academy
Built in: China

PL-15 / PL-15E, Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, Munitions

Image source: PL15E Air-to-Air Missile Image

Profile

Type: Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
Conflict side: Pakistan
Origin: China
Service note: Mid-2010s to present; PL-15E export use documented in 2025

air defenseair-to-airmissile precision fires

Service History

In service: Chinese service reported from the mid-2010s; PL-15E documented in Pakistani service by 2025
Used by: Pakistan Air Force, People's Liberation Army Air Force, People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force
Wars: 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict

Production History

Designer: China Airborne Missile Academy
Designed: Early 2010s development, with export PL-15E displayed publicly in 2021
Built by: China Airborne Missile Academy
Built in: China
Unit cost: Not publicly released
Produced: 2010s-present
Number built: Not publicly released
Variants: PL-15 domestic variant, PL-15E export variant

Specifications

Guidance: Active radar homing with an AESA seeker and two-way data-link mid-course updates reported
Propulsion: Dual-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor
Range: PL-15 reported around 200 km class; PL-15E export variant reported around 145 km / 90 miles
Launch platforms: Reported on J-10C, J-20, J-16 and JF-17 Block III family aircraft
Role: Long-range beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile

Conflict Usage

2025 India-Pakistan Conflict: Side: PakistanRole: Beyond-visual-range air-to-air engagementair defense
Pakistan fielded Chinese-built PL-15E beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles during the May 2025 air clashes; recovered missile debris in India confirms use, while public claims about aircraft downings remain disputed.

PL-15 / PL-15E Images

PL-15 / PL-15E, Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, Munitions - view 1 — Source: PL15E Air-to-Air Missile Image

PL-15 / PL-15E, Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, Munitions - view 2 — Source: PL15 and PL-12 Missile Image

PL-15 / PL-15E, Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, Munitions - view 3 — Source: Operation Sindoor Briefing Showing Retrieved PL-15

PL-15 / PL-15E, Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, Munitions - view 4 — Source: PL-15 Image

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Sources

Chinese-Made PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Components Came Down Intact Inside IndiaPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict direct use: PL-15E missiles were used by Pakistan during the air clashes, with missile components falling inside India; also supports radar seeker, data-link, export range, and propulsion context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Four Days in May: The India-Pakistan Crisis of 2025Publisher: Stimson Center | Note: Supports 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict direct use: PL-15 missiles were used by Pakistan, with recovered debris in India; also supports the caveat that aircraft-loss claims and missile effects remain disputed. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 China Fires Longer-Range AAM at Export MarketPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports PL-15E export background and the publicly stated 145 km range figure from the 2021 Zhuhai display. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Air-to-Air Missiles Push the Performance, Payload EnvelopePublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports background on the China Airborne Missile Academy/Luoyang PL-15 and its AESA radar-guided air-to-air missile context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 PL-15 Chinese Active Radar-Guided Very Long Range Air-to-Air MissilePublisher: U.S. Army ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide | Note: Supports general PL-15 background, active radar guidance, very-long-range air-to-air role, and Chinese-origin system context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 PL15E Air-to-Air Missile ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a PL-15E mockup at Zhuhai Airshow 2024, released under CC0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 PL15 and PL-12 Missile ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for PL-15 and PL-12 air-to-air missile display, released under CC0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Operation Sindoor Briefing Showing Retrieved PL-15Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a Government of India Operation Sindoor briefing image showing retrieved PL-15 missile material, licensed under Government Open Data License - India. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 PL-15 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a PL-15 display photo, released under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21