PL-12
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The PL-12 (Chinese: 霹雳-12; pinyin: Pī Lì-12; lit. 'Thunderbolt-12', NATO reporting name: CH-AA-7 Adze) is an active radar-guided beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by the People's Republic of China. It is considered comparable to the US AIM-120 AMRAAM and the Russian R-77.
History
Development of the PL-12 (SD-10) began in 1997. The first public information of the Leihua Electronic Technology Research Institute's PL-12 – then called the SD-10 – emerged in 2001. Development was assisted by Vympel NPO and Agat of Russia. Liang Xiaogeng is believed to have been the chief designer. Four successful test firings were made in 2004. The missile entered People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) service in 2005.
Design
The early batches of PL-12 missiles reportedly used the 9B-1348 radar seeker designed for the R-77 missile. The development process was assisted by Vympel NPO and Tactical Missile Corporation and benefited from Russian technology transfers. But as of 2018, the PL-12 was no longer reliant on Russian components for missile production.
The guidance system comprises data-linked mid-course guidance and active radar homing for terminal guidance. The missile uses a Chinese rocket motor and airframe. The PL-12 may have a passive homing mode for use against jammers and AEW aircraft. The maximum range is estimated to be 100 kilometres (62 mi).
PL-12's overall dimension is larger than AIM-120 AMRAAM. Per PLAAF assessment, PL-12's capability sits between AIM-120B and AIM-120C, and the improved PL-12A is claimed to be comparable with the AIM-120C-4. The domestic version of the PL-12 features a variable-thrust rocket motor with a range of 70–100 kilometres (43–62 mi), while the export variant SD-10 features a reduced range of 60–70 kilometres (37–43 mi). According to the Royal United Services Institute, the range performance of PL-12 stands between AIM-120B and AIM-120C-5.
Variants
SD-10A on display with the
JF-17 light-weight fighter at the Farnborough International Airshow 2010.
PL-12
Domestic version with 60
to 100 km
range.
PL-12A
NATO reporting name is CH-AA-7A.
Improved PL-12 with a modified seeker and digital processor. Reportedly fitted with passive mode for anti-radiation missions.
SD-10A (ShanDian-10, 闪电-10)
Export version of the PL-12 with a reduced maximum launch range of 70 km.
SD-10B
Enhanced SD-10A with better anti-jamming capability.
Operators
Map with PL-12 operators in blue
Current operators
People's Republic of China
Pakistan
Myanmar
See also
References
- ^ a b O'Rourke: page 21
- ^ Medeiros et al.: page 93
- ^ Fisher, Richard D. Jr. (21 February 2010). "The Air Balance on the Taiwan Strait". International Assessment and Strategy Center. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ a b Cliff: page 8
- ^ Hallion etc al.: page 195
- ^ O'Rourke: page 77
- ^ Gormley et al.: page 55
- ^ Gormley et al.: page 13
- ^ a b Jennings, Gareth (4 March 2015). "Bulgaria to be offered JF-17 fighter by Pakistan". janes.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ "Is Cambodia the Mystery Buyer of China's FTC-2000G Trainer/Fighter Jet?". Defense World. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Barrie, Douglas (8 October 2021). "China fires longer-range AAM at export market". International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- ^ For Strategic Studies (Iiss), The International Institute (15 February 2023). "6 Asia". The Military Balance 2023. London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781003400226. ISBN 9781003400226. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
- ^ a b c Fisher, Richard D. Jr. (2 February 2008). "China's Emerging 5th Generation Air-to-Air Missiles". International Assessment and Strategy Center. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ a b Medeiros et al.: page 92
- ^ Fisher, Richard D. Jr. (18 September 2015). "Chief designer reveals data on China's new Luoyang PL-10 AAM". janes.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ Fisher, Richard D. Jr. (21 November 2002). "Military Sales to China: Going to Pieces". International Assessment and Strategy Center. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ a b Newdick, Thomas (1 September 2022). "A Guide To China's Increasingly Impressive Air-To-Air Missile Inventory". The Drive.
- ^ a b Joshi, Sameer (6 February 2021). "How China is fast catching up with the West in the race for air-to-air missile superiority". The Print.
- ^ Barrie, Douglas (9 September 2022). "Air-to-air warfare: speed kills". Military Balance Blog. International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ Newdick, Thomas (1 September 2022). "A Guide To China's Increasingly Impressive Air-To-Air Missile Inventory". The Drive. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ "Transfers of major weapons: Deals with deliveries or orders made for 1950 to 2021 (China to Pakistan, missiles)". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2023. (750) PL-12 BVRAAM (2006) 2010-2021 (575) For JF-17 combat aircraft
- ^ "Transfers of major weapons: Deals with deliveries or orders made for 1950 to 2021 (China to Myanmar, missiles)". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2023. (60) PL-12 BVRAAM (2015) 2018-2019 (24) For JF-17 combat aircraft
Bibliography
- Cliff, Roger (May 2010). The Development of China's Air Force Capabilities (PDF) (Report). RAND Corporation. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- Gormley, Dennis M.; Erickson, Andrew S.; Yuan, Jingdong (2014). A Low-Visibility Force Multiplier: Assessing China's Cruise Missile Ambitions (PDF) (Report). Washington, D.C.: National Defense University Press.
- Hallion, Richard P.; Cliff, Roger P.; Saunder, Phillip C., eds. (2012). The Chinese Air Force: Evolving Concepts, Roles, and Capabilities (PDF) (Report). Washington, D.C.: National Defense University Press.
- Medeiros, Evan S.; Cliff, Roger; Crane, Keith; Mulvenon, James C. (2005). A New Direction for China's Defense Industry. RAND Corporation. ISBN 9780833040794.
- O'Rourke, Ronald (28 February 2014). China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress (PDF) (Report). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- Wood, Peter; Yang, David; Cliff, Roger (November 2020). Air-to-Air Missiles: Capabilities And Development In China (PDF). Montgomery: China Aerospace Studies Institute. ISBN 9798574996270.
- Bronk, Justin (October 2020). Russian and Chinese Combat Air Trends (PDF) (Report). United Kingdom: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.</ref>