The war between India and Pakistan has come to an end for 10 days, and information from the Pakistani side is still being released. According to the latest report of the Pakistani media "International News" on May 14, during the air battle at dawn on July 7, the PL-15E air-to-air missile used by the Pakistan Air Force achieved a maximum firing distance of up to 98 nautical miles (about 181 kilometers), and the PL-15E air-to-air missile hit a "Rafale" fighter jet at this firing distance. If this news is true, it means that the combination of China-made J-10CP fighter jets and PL-15E air-to-air missiles has achieved the farthest range and highest value kill record in human history so far. High-value medium-range missile kill Of course, many people may think that the Russian Aerospace Forces in Ukraine using R-37M air-to-air missiles to kill Ukraine's air force fighters might have a longer killing distance, so why isn't the value as high as the kill of a "Rafale" fighter by Pakistan Air Force using domestic medium-range missiles? Actually, here's how it works. On one hand, the main weapons used in long-range beyond-visual-range air combat by the Russian Aerospace Forces in Ukraine are not in the same category as the PL-15E used by the Pakistan Air Force. PL-15E belongs to the traditional definition of medium-range missiles, similar to the American-made AIM-120D series air-to-air missiles. The missile body length is less than 4 meters, with a diameter of 178 millimeters for AIM-120D and 203 millimeters for ours. The weight of our missile is about 210 kilograms, while AIM-120D is lighter at over 160 kilograms. While the R-37M remote air-to-air missiles used by the Russian forces are originally defined as large air-to-air missiles, with lengths over 4 meters, diameters of 380 millimeters, and weights around 500 kilograms. In other words, the weight of one R-37M is equivalent to the weight of two PL-15E air-to-air missiles, and they are used to strike different targets in air combat. These heavy air-to-air missiles are originally intended to target strategic bombers and airborne warning aircraft. In terms of the air combat equipment of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the R-77-1 medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile corresponds to the PL-15E. This missile is 3.71 meters long and weighs 190 kilograms, looking almost comparable to the PL-15E. However, until now, based on the situation in the Ukrainian battlefield, the farthest kill distance of the Russian forces so far was an example in October 2022 when the Russian Aerospace Forces used Su-57 fighters to shoot down two Ukrainian fighters at a distance of 217 kilometers, reportedly using the huge R-37M, but this case has not been confirmed. At the end of 2023, a MiG-31BM interceptor aircraft of the Russian forces intercepted a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter at a distance of about 150 kilometers. Comprehensive tactical displays and drone records confirmed that the Ukrainian fighter was shot down and crashed after being hit, with a launch distance of about 150 kilometers. On February 3, 2025, a Russian Su-30SM2 fighter shot down a Ukrainian Su-27S fighter, killing the pilot, at a distance of 130 kilometers, again using the R-37M. The farthest launch distance confirmed by the HUD of a Russian Su-35S fighter so far was 80 kilometers, where it launched the R-77-1 to attack a MiG-29, but there is no solid proof that the Ukrainian fighter was actually shot down. Therefore, the current beyond-visual-range interception distance of the Russian forces using heavy long-range air-to-air missiles is within the range of 100 to 200 kilometers. Although the nominal interception distance of the R-77-1 medium-range missile is around 150 kilometers, the actual launch distance is only around 60 to 80 kilometers, which is the actual capability of medium-range interception by the Russian forces. But this time, the Pakistan Air Force intercepted the Indian Rafale fighter jet using the PL-15E, which is at the same level as the AIM-120D and R-77-1 medium-range missiles, and conducted interception at a distance of 182 kilometers. Big Ivan doesn't know whether this interception distance is the launch distance or the kill distance. If it is the interception distance, it means that both sides started mid-range missile launches when flying head-on at a distance of 182 kilometers. Based on the speed analysis of the PL-15E, the final kill distance is estimated to be around 140 to 150 kilometers from the launch point. And if the final kill distance is 182 kilometers, that would be astonishing! It means that the medium-range missile interception of the Pakistani J-10CP fighter against the Indian Rafale was carried out at a distance of about 230 kilometers. This interception distance has already exceeded the typical range of heavy air-to-air missiles, making the actual technical and tactical performance data of the PL-15E almost unimaginable. Secondly, compared to the Pakistan Air Force trained by the Chinese Air Force, the system of the Russian Aerospace Forces is still incomplete. The HUD displays of the Su-35S and MiG-31BM fighters often seen online by the Russian forces basically show them operating in single-aircraft radar search mode. That is, their own "Twist Dance" radar or "Snow Leopard-E" radar searches for targets, then locks onto and tracks them before launching the R-37M to attack the target. This is the typical medium-range missile attack tactic we usually imagine. Search, lock, attack, commonly known as "queue gun execution". Of course, without the cover of early warning aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft, beyond-visual-range combat can only be done this way. But judging from the air combat between the Pakistan Air Force and the Indian Air Force, the air combat system of the Pakistan Air Force is even more complete than that of the Indian Air Force. In the early morning air battle on July 7, the Pakistan Air Force at least deployed the ALEye early warning aircraft, and also necessarily deployed the elite Falcon 20 communications electronic warfare aircraft. The early warning aircraft uses the Link-16/17 data link to provide early target indication for the J-10CP fighter jets, and even uses a pencil beam to correct the PL-15E air-to-air missiles fired to ensure they reach the active radar activation point. Not only did the communication jammer of the Pakistan Air Force intercept communications of the Indian Rafale fighter pilots, but it may also have blinded part of the air communications of the Indian fighters, creating favorable conditions for the Pakistan Air Force to organize air offensives and medium-range interceptions. From this perspective, the air combat system of the Pakistan Air Force is technically even more advanced than that of the Russian Aerospace Forces. From the perspective of air combat tactics, the air combat tactics of the Russian Aerospace Forces are what we call the typical "queue gun execution" tactic - you turn on your radar, I turn on mine; my range is farther, I knock you out... The tactics of the Pakistan Air Force are much cooler! In fact, as the elements of air combat become increasingly complex, air combat tactics have advanced to a level we can hardly understand. The exact times for fire control radars to turn on, when to implement medium-range missile interceptions, what turns to lead after seconds of launch, and the timing sequence are all as precise as a clock. Who guides the medium-range missiles launched, guiding them to where the radar switches on for terminal guidance, and then using frequency hopping to deceive the Indian fighters' RWR to achieve stealth kills, almost every tactical action requires meticulous design to achieve the ultimate result of shooting down a Rafale fighter. Factors in Beyond-Visual-Range Air Combat Of course, for the Pakistan Air Force to achieve an air combat kill against a Rafale fighter at such a great distance, it could be said that multiple factors are indispensable. Firstly, the fire control radar of the J-10CP fighter must be sufficiently advanced, or the radar of the early warning aircraft must be good enough to detect a Rafale fighter at a distance greater than 200 kilometers, then lock onto it, and immediately launch the PL-15E, followed by mid-range guidance either from its own aircraft or other aircraft. Secondly, the range of the PL-15E air-to-air missile must be sufficient. Judging from the actual distances at which the Pakistani fighter jets struck Indian Air Force fighters, we previously estimated that most of the Indian fighters were shot down at distances over 80 kilometers from the control line. Considering that the Pakistani fighter jets could not approach the control line to fire, they had to leave a certain distance. One reason was to perform lead turn maneuvers, and another was to stay away from the 48N6E firepower kill zone of the Indian Jalandar S-400 battalion. Therefore, the actual firing distance must exceed 100 kilometers. At the China Aviation Exhibition, the nominal range of the PL-15E was stated to be greater than 145 kilometers. From the engagement distances of the Pakistan Air Force, this "greater than 145 kilometers" might mean it's actually much greater, possibly exceeding 50 kilometers. Thirdly, the Indian side must also cooperate well. If they have sufficiently advanced RWR equipment, even if the Pakistani fighter jets use A-shoot-B-guide and terminal medium-range missile frequency hopping to deceive the RWR, advanced RWR equipment will quickly identify these LPI signals, prompting the Indian fighters to execute lead turn maneuvers. In this case, the beyond-visual-range interception at such extreme ranges by the Pakistani forces might fail, since missile kinetic energy decreases at the outer edge of the kill zone. However, not only did the Pakistan Air Force fire at such great distances, but they succeeded as well. This proves that not only are they highly proficient with their equipment, but they also have a thorough understanding of the capabilities of the Indian equipment. Especially since it's clear that the Rafale fighter would not have radar warnings at this distance, given that the Pakistan Air Force has previously trained against Rafale and Typhoon fighters, it's not surprising that they have relevant technical intelligence. As the Pakistan Air Force achieves launch distances over 180 kilometers and kill distances over 140 kilometers against Indian fighters, medium-to-long-range air combat has reached unprecedented heights. The basic combat trends of the Gulf War era where the US used AIM-7M and the NATO War era where the US used AIM-120B to strike Saddam's MiG-29s at a few kilometers away have become relics of the past. If the Russia-Ukraine conflict has merely shown us the basic trend of future air combat extending beyond 100 kilometers, then the air combat between the Pakistan Air Force and the Indian Air Force over Punjab has provided us with a deeper understanding of modern beyond-visual-range air combat tactics. It has clarified that future beyond-visual-range air combat tactics will become increasingly precise, becoming more of an art of mathematics and electronic information engineering. Nevertheless, with the advent of new-generation combat platforms, the iteration speed of beyond-visual-range air combat will inevitably accelerate, leaving more countries behind. We await further developments. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7505638382115258934/ Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's views. Please express your opinion by clicking the "Support/Disapprove" buttons below.