| PL-12 | |
|---|---|
A model of an export version of the PL-12, SD-10A, (bottom-left corner) with a Pakistan Air Force JF-17 on display at the Farnborough Airshow 2010.
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| Type | Medium-range, active radar homing air-to-air BVR missile |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2005-present[1] |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army Air Force
People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 180 kilograms (400 lb)[2] |
| Engine | Dual thrust solid fuel rocket[3] |
Operational | 70–100 kilometres (43–62 mi)[4][5] |
| Maximum speed | Mach 4+[3] |
Guidance | Active radar[6] |
Launch | |
The PL-12 (Chinese: 霹雳-12; pinyin: Pī Lì-12; lit. 'Thunderbolt-12', NATO reporting name: CH-AA-7 Adze[13][14]) 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.[6]
Development of the PL-12 (SD-10) began in 1997.[1] The first public information of the Leihua Electronic Technology Research Institute's PL-12 – then called the SD-10 – emerged in 2001.[15] Development was assisted by Vympel NPO and Agat of Russia.[16] Liang Xiaogeng is believed to have been the chief designer.[17] Four successful test firings were made in 2004.[16] The missile entered People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) service in 2005.[1]
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.[3] But as of 2018, the PL-12 was no longer reliant on Russian components for missile production.[3]
The guidance system comprises data-linked mid-course guidance and active radar homing for terminal guidance.[3] The missile uses a Chinese rocket motor[15] and airframe.[18] The PL-12 may have a passive homing mode for use against jammers and AEW aircraft.[15] The maximum range is estimated to be 100 kilometres (62 mi).[19]
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).[20] According to the Royal United Services Institute, the range performance of PL-12 stands between AIM-120B and AIM-120C-5.[21]
People's Republic of China
Pakistan
Myanmar{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
(750) PL-12 BVRAAM (2006) 2010-2021 (575) For JF-17 combat aircraft
(60) PL-12 BVRAAM (2015) 2018-2019 (24) For JF-17 combat aircraft
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