The PL-15 (Chinese: 霹雳-15; pinyin: Pī Lì-Yāo Wǔ; lit. 'Thunderbolt-15', NATO reporting name: CH-AA-10 Abaddon[6]) is an active radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of China.
The PL-15 is developed by Luoyang-based China Airborne Missile Academy (CAMA).[7] The missile was test fired in 2011 and referenced by Chinese state media in 2015.[3] It was spotted in 2013 mounted on a prototype of Chengdu J-20.[8]
The PL-15 entered People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military service around 2015[9] to 2017.[3] 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.[8] 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.[5][8]
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.[10][11]
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.[12] 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.[7]
At the 2021 Zhuhai Airshow, China unveiled an export variant of PL-15 named PL-15E with a maximum range of 145 km (90 mi). The export version has less range than the domestic version, possibly due to changes in propellant or rocket motor.[8] This is similar to the situation between SD-10 and its domestic counterpart PL-12.[8]
The missile is measured between 3.8 and 4 metres (12 and 13 ft),[5] longer and wider than other contemporary radar missiles. The cropped control fins are designed for internal carriage by stealth aircraft.[8] It incorporates a dual-pulsed solid-fuel rocket motor,[1][3] 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.[5] 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 potentially offers higher burn-out speed excess of Mach 5, then gradually loses its velocity at the terminal phase.[13] As such, the Meteor will retain a significantly larger NEZ (No Escape Zone) and much higher long-range kill probability due to its ramjet propulsion system.[14][5]
The missile is guided by a miniature active electronically scanned array radar seeker,[15] sporting both active and passive modes for the different mission set. It also features improved resistance to countermeasures.[8] The hybrid guidance system supports a mid-course two-way datalink led by AEW&C aircraft and autonomous terminal radar homing.[3]