--- title: "China’s PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Appears To Have Been Used In Combat For The First Time" description: "The apparent use of China's PL-15 by Pakistan in the recent eruption of hostilities with India comes as Rafale shoot-down claims swirl. A French intelligence official has reportedly confirmed the combat loss of an Indian Air Force Rafale taking part in recent strikes." date: "2025-05-07" modified: "2025-05-07" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/chinas-pl-15-air-to-air-missile-appears-to-have-been-used-in-combat-for-first-time" categories: - "Air" - "Air Force Munitions" - "Air Forces" - "Air-To-Air" - "Around The Globe" - "Fighters" - "India" - "India-Pakistan Nuclear Standoff" - "Indian Air Force" - "Indo-Pacific" - "News & Features" - "Nuclear" - "Nuclear Proliferation" - "Rafale" tags: - "Pakistan" - "PL-15" --- # China’s PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Appears To Have Been Used In Combat For The First Time ![The air war currently unfolding between India and Pakistan is exceedingly murky, but one aspect that seems almost certain is the use of the Chinese-made PL-15 active-radar-guided air-to-air missile (AAM) by Pakistan. So far, Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft and at least one Indian official has reportedly confirmed the crash of three aircraft but cautioned that the reasons were not clear. Unverified imagery suggests that one of the Indian Air Force’s prized Rafale multirole fighters may have been shot down. Regardless, the fighting between the two nuclear-armed states is the most intense for decades, now with the growing risk of the situation spiraling further out of control.]() *via X* The air war currently unfolding between India and Pakistan is exceedingly murky, but one aspect that seems almost certain is the use of the Chinese-made [PL-15 active-radar-guided air-to-air missile]() (AAM) by Pakistan. So far, Pakistan claims to have shot down five Indian aircraft, and there are multiple accounts, including from Indian officials, pointing to the crash of at least two aircraft, without specifying the reasons. Meanwhile, a French official has [reportedly]() confirmed the loss of one of the Indian Air Force’s prized [Rafale multirole fighters](). Regardless, the fighting between the two nuclear-armed states is the most intense for decades, now with the growing risk of the situation spiraling further. https://twitter.com/Defence_IDA/status/1920057405976539215 Imagery showing the apparent wreckage of a PL-15 missile began circulating on social media today. Reportedly, the missile parts fell in Hoshiarpur district, in the northeast of the Indian state of Punjab. In particular, a portion of the missile body, from immediately behind the radome, can be identified. This carries a serial number and a small door marked as a seeker test port, as seen at the top of this story. https://twitter.com/MenchOsint/status/1920063697143144950 Another image purports to show the missile seeker from the PL-15, which uses [active electronically scanned array (AESA)]() technology, with active and passive modes, and which is said to provide better resistance to countermeasures than previous Chinese AAMs. https://twitter.com/John_A_Ridge/status/1920121451799093708 While the identity of the weapon can’t be verified beyond doubt at this point, a PL-15 seems most likely. Whether the missile in question successfully brought down a target is unclear. Whatever the case, Pakistan’s use of the missile is a significant development; this seems to be the first confirmed use of the weapon in an operational context. As you can read about in our [in-depth story on Chinese air-to-air missiles](), the PL-15 is China’s standard active-radar-guided AAM, and it was intended to *at least* match the performance of the U.S.-made [AIM-120D]() Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). From the start, this missile was tailored for internal carriage, initially in the [J-20 stealth fighter](), and features distinctive cropped fins to reduce its dimensions. A further version, even better optimized for internal carriage, has since appeared, as you can read about [here](). ![]() *A Chinese J-10C with an air-to-air load-out comprising PL-15 (inboard) and PL-10 (outboard) AAMs. *via Chinese internet** The basic PL-15 has a dual-pulse rocket motor that provides a reported range of 124 miles. Another important feature is a two-way datalink that allows the launching aircraft to provide guidance updates to the missile and the missile to provide its own information to the launching aircraft. The potent PL-15 missile prompted the United States, among others, to start the development of [new air-to-air weapons]() specifically designed to [outrange them](). In the meantime, the PL-15 is now replacing the older PL-12 across China’s fighter fleet and is also offered for export under the PL-15E name. Published performance figures for the PL-15E include a range of 90 miles, [somewhat less]() than for the domestic version, which could be the result of a different propellant or changes to the motor. In Pakistan Air Force service, the PL-15E arms the JF-17 Block III fighter as well as the J-10C, for which Pakistan became [the first export customer](), with [initial deliveries in 2022](). ![Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighter jets perform at a rehearsal ahead of Pakistan's national day parade in Islamabad on March 21, 2024. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP) (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)]() *Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighter jets perform at a rehearsal ahead of Pakistan's national day parade in Islamabad on March 21, 2024. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP via Getty Images) AAMIR QURESHI* https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1920043331867812170 India has a counterpart to the PL-15 in the [MBDA Meteor]() beyond-visual-range missile (BVRAAM), a ramjet-powered weapon that may well offer advantages over the Chinese missile. While Western analysts [determine]() that the PL-15 has a comparable maximum range to the Meteor, the pan-European missile likely has a much larger no-escape zone and better long-range kill probability thanks to its ramjet motor. Regardless of what the PL-15 was fired at, and whether it successfully engaged its target, Pakistan has posted a flurry of claims of Indian Air Force aircraft shot down. A [report]() in *The New York Times* cites three officials, local news reports, and accounts of witnesses, who said that “at least two aircraft” went down in India and the Indian-controlled side of Kashmir. https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1920068477617942973 Various unverified imagery has been posted to social media purporting to show the wreckage of Indian Air Force fighters shot down or otherwise lost in combat. With so much propaganda circulating and information operations ongoing, all open-source imagery has to be taken as unconfirmed. One of these shows an engine that appears to be from a French-made combat jet, initially identified as either an Indian Air Force [Rafale]() or [Mirage 2000](), although certain details of the nozzle seemed to point more strongly toward the first option. https://twitter.com/Doha104p3/status/1920110812825268382 https://twitter.com/RickJoe_PLA/status/1920024720419831857 Subsequently, a photo began to circulate that purports to show parts of a Rafale’s tailfin and rudder lying in a field, said to be in Bathinda, Punjab. The wreckage bears the serial number BS-001, which would identify it as a single-seat Rafale EH. https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1920123876341645475 ![]() *An Indian Air Force single-seat Rafale EH multirole fighter. *Indian Air Force** A video apparently taken by locals in the village of Aklian Kalan, Punjab, shows what seems to be the remains of an MBDA MICA air-to-air missile, as well as its associated missile launch rail. The MICA is a weapon associated with both the Rafale and the Mirage 2000, although Aklian Kalan is notably only around 12 miles from Bathinda Air Force Station, home to Indian Rafales. https://twitter.com/doha104p3/status/1919922881892430275?s=12 Since this imagery began to circulate, an unnamed French official [confirmed]() to *CNN* that an Indian Air Force Rafale was brought down by Pakistan, but provided no details of exactly what brought it down. https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/1920142813498311108 Other imagery claims to show the wreckage of an Indian [MiG-29 Fulcrum]() or [Su-30MKI Flanker]() fighter, based on the Russian-made K-36DM ejection seat that’s visible. This aircraft is said to have come down in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Previously, *Reuters* [had reported]() that an Indian combat jet “crashed” for unspecified reasons somewhere in Jammu and Kashmir, and that its pilot was injured and taken to a hospital. A single pilot, if true, would point toward a MiG-29 rather than the two-seat Su-30. https://twitter.com/swiftretort1/status/1920067838863171586 https://twitter.com/TheDeadDistrict/status/1920108860502659393 All of these developments, as well as the surrounding claims and counter-claims, point to the confusion that is very typical when dealing with the heat of combat. With that in mind, it remains possible that at least some of these apparent losses were accidents, or perhaps blue-on-blue incidents. The involvement of surface-to-air missiles also shouldn’t be ruled out at this stage. And while the loss of a Rafale, especially to a Chinese-designed fighter, if confirmed, would be a huge propaganda win for Pakistan and, to some degree, China, the reality is that modern air combat is far more than a simple fighter-versus-fighter affair. In the long run, other aspects, including training, munitions, networking, airborne early warning, electronic warfare, tactics, and much more, will play into successes and failures. With that in mind, even the combat loss of a Rafale doesn’t make that aircraft a dud, which is good news for the Indian Navy, too, since this service recently had an order for the [carrier-based version]() of the fighter signed off. In other developments, the office of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the country’s armed forces have been authorized to undertake “corresponding actions” after India’s strikes on Wednesday night. For its part, India said that its Operation Sindoor [hit nine targets]() that it described as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and on Pakistan’s side of the disputed Kashmir region. Indian military spokespersons said that the targets belonged to two Islamist militant groups: Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a briefing that “Intelligence and monitoring of Pakistan-based terror modules showed that further attacks against India were impending, therefore it was necessary to take pre-emptive and precautionary strikes.” ![]() *A map centered on Pahalgam offering a general overview of the disputed Kashmir region. Indian strikes on Wednesday night targeted Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir, as well as adjacent areas in Pakistan proper. *Google Maps** Pakistan said that six locations on its territory were targeted, but claimed that none of them were militant camps. A Pakistan military spokesperson said that at least 26 civilians were killed and 46 injured in the strikes. In a statement, JeM said that 10 relatives of its leader Masood Azhar were killed in an Indian strike. Indian police and medics claim that at least seven civilians have been killed and 30 others injured by retaliatory Pakistani firing and shelling overnight. https://twitter.com/Nrg8000/status/1920076797498273961 Based on imagery that has emerged on social media, India appears to have used a version of its [BrahMos]() supersonic cruise missile in at least some of these strikes, alongside attacks by Indian Air Force fighters. Also known by the designation PJ-10, this ramjet-powered weapon was developed and manufactured as a collaborative effort between India and Russia. The BrahMos is available in ground-launched, air-launched, sub-launched, and ship-launched versions, and the missile has a [reported range]() of between 300-500 kilometers (186-311 miles). https://twitter.com/FarooqB90714421/status/1920076896429035899 https://twitter.com/lfx160219/status/1920051343466680762 The Indian government has said its latest strikes were retaliation for the terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians [in Kashmir last month](). This is a developing story. We will update it as more news comes in. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()