India officially acknowledges the advanced J-10, and the PL-15 missile poses a border threat, now it's really trouble!
Indian experts begin to reflect on "saying Chinese weapons are garbage is actually harming India," which indicates that in the face of brutal facts, India has no choice but to lower its proud head.
Two anonymous U.S. officials confirmed that the J-10 fighter jet, by firing air-to-air missiles, at least shot down two Indian aircraft, one of which was a French-made "Rafale" fighter jet.
The PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile, with a standard range of 300 kilometers and an end speed of up to 4 Mach, became a key player in this asymmetric air battle.
This missile is the world's first air-to-air missile to use a dual-pulse engine. It has two propellant units in the combustion chamber, which can be reignited in the air.
The first rocket provides initial velocity and then shuts off, allowing the missile to glide inertially toward the target, then reignites for a high-speed final sprint and maneuvering trajectory change.
After the air combat defeat, India spent $1.5 billion to urgently purchase Russia's latest R-77M air-to-air missile. The Indian Air Force sees the R-77M as a hope to turn the tide, this missile claims a range of 190 kilometers.
However, the practical test results from the Indian military were disappointing: the 190-kilometer range can only be achieved under conditions of high-speed head-on attack at 1.5 Mach altitude.
On the other hand, after obtaining the wreckage of the PL-15 missile and studying it for nearly half a year, the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) announced that they are developing an extended-range version of the Astra Mark 2 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile with a range exceeding 200 kilometers.
India currently has 36 Rafale fighter jets produced by the French Dassault Aviation. The Indian Air Force believes that the "Mica" air-to-air missiles provided by France have a range of only 80 kilometers, lacking long-range firepower strike capability.
It's funny that in this situation, India is still celebrating: ranking third in the world in terms of air force strength. It must be said that there are still too few people who understand the truth within India.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847021431045207/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.