Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) News & Discussions

[grey boy 2]

 

[Beast]

 

[cirr]

 

[Deino]

Oha ... what kind of monster-AAM is this ??? Finally the Real PL-15 ?? IMO the one in the J-20 was always too much a PL-12-development.

 

[j20blackdragon]

The PL-15 is a significantly larger missile than the PL-12. Please compare.

PL-15

PL-12

 

[Blue Marlin]

The PL-15 is a significantly larger missile than the PL-12. Please compare.

PL-15

PL-12
View attachment 353856

the lack for control surfaces suggest its main platform is for those with internal weapons bays

 

[j20blackdragon]

the lack for control surfaces suggest its main platform is for those with internal weapons bays

Lack of control surfaces (except for small fins at the rear) would suggest to me that it may have thrust vectoring in lieu of traditional control surfaces. Like the A-Darter for example.

 

[Deino]

Just two thought, that maybe contradict ... but just what's Your opinion:

1. the PL-15 is most often reported with a range in excess of >200km ... IMO with a PL-12-sized design as the one seen in the J-20 very unlikely. So could it be that this is the real PL-15 - aka a new design - and the missile in the J-20's bays is a further PL-12-development ?? Maybe that rumoured AEW/AWACS-killer ?

2. Since the J-16 is a striker, could this be a new ARM ??

Deino

 

[Deino]

Hmmm ... ??? We already had a similar missile spotted under a J-11B in 2011 !

But they are different IMO !!!??

 

[cirr]

Hmmm ... ??? We already had a similar missile spotted under a J-11B in 2011 !

View attachment 353881

View attachment 353882

But they are different IMO !!!??

The new missile is about 6m in length, from which it is easy to work out the diameter at some 400mm.

It is a giant missile for sure. Anti-AWACS? ASAT?

Schematics from a research article published years ago

 

[星海军事]

the lack for control surfaces suggest its main platform is for those with internal weapons bays

The missile is ~5.8 m long and ~306 mm in diameter, so it is definetly not a MRAAM and not suitable for J-20's internal weapon bay.

 

[yantong1980]

Seems specified for very long-range aerial target, a specific aerial target...AWACS?

 

[Akasa]

The PL-15 is a significantly larger missile than the PL-12. Please compare.

PL-15

PL-12
View attachment 353856

That's not a PL-15; it is significantly longer and thicker. The PL-15 is a counterpart to the AIM-120D while this mystery missile would be best compared to the AIM-54 and KS-172 in terms of role.

 

[Deino]

That's not a PL-15; it is significantly longer and thicker. The PL-15 is a counterpart to the AIM-120D while this mystery missile would be best compared to the AIM-54 and KS-172 in terms of role.

Exactly and therefore my question again: The so far seen PL-15 in the J-20 and on the J-11B is IMO too much of an PL-12-development and does not fit to the reported claims in range and capability to the rumoured PL-15. So, I am questioning if the missile in the J-20 and on the J-11B is the PL-15 at all??

This monster-missile in contrast is something new and fits much better to the descriptions and reports of the PL-15 ... so IMO this is the true PL-15 and the missile we saw before is "only" a further development of the PL-12 for internal carriage.

Deino

 

[Akasa]

Exactly and therefore my question again: The so far seen PL-15 in the J-20 and on the J-11B is IMO too much of an PL-12-development and does not fit to the reported claims in range and capability to the rumoured PL-15. So, I am questioning if the missile in the J-20 and on the J-11B is the PL-15 at all??

This monster-missile in contrast is something new and fits much better to the descriptions and reports of the PL-15 ... so IMO this is the true PL-15 and the missile we saw before is "only" a further development of the PL-12 for internal carriage.

Deino

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the designations. It wouldn't be surprising if the "old PL-15" (i.e. the missile seen in J-20's internal bays and on some J-11B) is based on the PL-12, but it does seem to be a new type of AAM. The PL-XX anti-AWACS missile shown here is completely unrelated.

If we tally up the recent sightings of "mystery missiles", we can concoct a fairly complete picture:
- PL-12: original version in service
- PL-15 (or PL-12B/C/D?): the "old PL-15" spotted on J-20 & J-11B
- PL-XX (or the real PL-15): this mystery missile