PL-10
Short-range air-to-air missile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The PL-10 (Chinese: 霹雳-10; pinyin: Pī Lì-10; lit. 'Thunderbolt-10', NATO reporting name: CH-AA-9[4]), formerly known as PL-ASR (stands for PiLi-Advanced Short Range),[5][6] is a short-range, infrared-homing / active radar homing air-to-air missile (AAM) developed by the People's Republic of China.[7]
_(cropped).jpg)
| PL-10 | |
|---|---|
A J-20 with one visible PL-10 on the side of the weapons bay. | |
| Type | Short-range air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2015−present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Luoyang Electro-Optics Technology Development Centre (EOTDC) |
| Produced | 2013−present |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 3.0 m (9 ft 10 in)[1] |
| Diameter | 160 mm (6.3 in)[2] |
| Warhead | Blast-frag, or expanding rod (RF-fuse) |
Detonation mechanism | Laser proximity fuze and impact |
| Engine | Thrust-vectoring solid-propellant rocket |
Guidance system | Multi-element imaging infrared (IIR)[3] Active radar seeker |
Launch platform | Aircraft |
History
Development of the PL-10 began in 2004. The design was approved in 2010 and it entered production in 2013.[7] The chief designer was Liang Xiaogeng (梁晓庚) of the Shanghai Academy of Science and Technology.[7] Pictures of the PL-10, then known as the PL-ASR, appeared on the Chinese internet in 2008.[5]
Design
The PL-10 may be partially based on the South African A-Darter AAM.[7] It uses an imaging infrared (IIR) sensor; these generally improve detection range and resistance to countermeasures.[8] The PL-10E has all-aspect targeting capability using an IIR sensor that images the entire target.[7] The seeker is reportedly very resistant to jamming and electronic countermeasures.[9]
The IIR seeker may track targets +/-90 degree off boresight angles.[8] It may be slaved to a helmet-mounted display (HMD);[10] the missile may be fired at a target that is visually sighted by the pilot ("look and shoot") and outside the aircraft's radar scan envelope.[11] The missile may lock-on after launch (LOAL)[12] and receive targeting data through a datalink while in flight.[8]
Flight is controlled by a thrust-vector controlled solid rocket motor and free-moving control wings on the missile's tail,[13] which facilitate the missile to achieve turn capability of over 60Gs and high angles of attack.[7]
According to the assessment by Royal United Services Institute, the PL-10 provides comparable performance to European ASRAAM and IRIS-T missiles, while offering superior kinematic performances against AIM-9X.[12] According to aviation researcher Justin Bronk, the overall capability of the PL-10 reaches an approximate parity with Western systems and surpasses Russian technologies.[12]
Variants
- PL-10
- Original version
- PL-10E
- Export version. The first potential buyer was Pakistan and its JF-17 Block III program.[14]
- PL-10 Active Radar
- A PL-10 variant replacing the IIR seeker with miniature active radar. It features a new radome, improving aerodynamic efficiency and range. The variant was first observed in 2022.[15]